The Shadow Library
by Shadow's Mirror
Summary: Yugi needs help on a History assignment. Will the Shadow Realm library have what he needs or will he find something else there instead? completed
1. Yugi's Problem

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I sat down to write the last chapter of 'A Gift from Darkness to Light'. I started it at the library. I figured there was nothing that could take such a simple story off track so it seemed safe to let the lights have a little conversation as they waited for Kaiba to show up. It wasn't until I was on the 2nd page, with no sign of Kaiba, that I began to suspect I'd made a mistake. When I found myself typing 'To be continued...' at the end of it, I sighed, gave it a new title, saved it as a new file and started work on the real last chapter of 'A Gift from Darkness to Light'. This is not unusual for me. 'Another Source of Magic' started off the same way... Oh Ra... ;^_^

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The Shadow Library  
Chapter 1: Yugi's Problem  
By Shadow's Mirror

"Ryou! Wait up!" Ryou Bakura turned at the sound of his friend's voice, pausing on the front steps of the Domino City Library. He smiled as Yugi caught up to him, out of breath. 

"How did it go?" Yugi pulled a face and Ryou smiled sympathetically. "Ah. That well." They started up the stairs together.

"Mr Tyson wasn't too happy with me." Yugi sighed at the memory of his history teacher's stern lecture. He'd known that something was wrong when she had kept him back at the end of the class, but it had still come as a shock to him when he found out what had happened. "I have to completely rewrite my essay." 

Ryou stumbled in surprise and would have fallen if Yugi hadn't quickly steadied him. "What? But… that essay was on Ancient Egypt. Why do you need to rewrite it? I mean… You know more about Ancient Egypt than anyone I know! Besides, Yami may not be able to remember his life, but he does remember Egypt and its history, right?"

Yugi nodded, sighing again. "Yes, unfortunately that's the problem. You see, a lot of the things that Yami told me have never been documented anywhere, so I couldn't say where I got the information. Mr Tyson thought that I was making it all up. He said that I either had to reveal all of my sources, or take out all of my 'unsubstantiated make-believe'. Then he gave me a lecture on how history is about what really happened, not about what we want to have happened." Yugi winced. "I have until Friday to re-submit my essay."

"Oh dear." Ryou and Yugi climbed the rest of the stairs in silence, both of them lost in thought. It wasn't until they were inside and seated at one of the tables in the research area that Ryou spoke again. "Perhaps you could just make out a list of books about Ancient Egypt and say that was where you got your information from?" His mind was still on Yugi's problem rather than the Geography assignment that they were supposed to be working on together.

Yugi shook his head. "Mr Tyson thought of that. He said that he would be checking my sources and if they weren't right, then I'd be in big trouble. Not to mention that my essay would get an 'F'." 

Ryou winced. "So much for that idea, then." 

Yugi forced a smile. "Don't worry, Ryou. I'm sure I'll think of something before Friday. If I don't, I'll just have to rewrite it. That's not a problem." His smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Ryou knew his friend was trying to make the best of it. He also knew that Yugi was very upset about it all. He remembered how proudly Yugi had shown that particular essay around the group before handing it in. He'd been very happy with how well it had turned out and the essay really was brilliantly done. It was easily worth an 'A', at the very least. Knowing Mr Tyson though, even if Yugi did manage to work out a source list, the essay probably wouldn't even get a 'B'. 

"How did you get around it? Didn't Bakura help you with your essay?" Yugi looked curiously at Ryou. He blinked as his friend blushed and suddenly seemed to see something very interesting on the desk in front of him. 

"Um… Yes, he did. I… couldn't use most of what he told me. It was a little too… explicit. What I did use was fairly general. Mainly information on the conditions of the Pharaoh's city and day to day life for the people there. That was what Bakura knew about." Ryou shrugged, trying not to think about some of the other things Bakura had told him while 'helping' him with his essay. On the bright side, if he ever needed to escape a room where the ceiling was rapidly descending, he'd know who to ask for advice. Honestly, considering some of the scrapes that his yami had gotten himself in to, it really was a wonder that he had survived long enough to have his soul trapped in the Millennium Ring… and those had just been the adventures that Bakura had told him about!

Shaking his head to clear it, Ryou tried to remember what he had been talking about. He blinked. "Oh! Wait a minute! Father!" 

"Huh? Where?" Yugi looked around in surprise. Ryou chuckled at the alarmed look on his face.

"No, I mean I listed my father as one of my sources. Or rather, his journals. You know my father keeps very detailed journals about his travels and what he learns while he's away. Ancient Egypt has always fascinated him so he has quite a lot of information about it. Perhaps you could do that too? My father's journals aren't published, so Mr Tyson wouldn't be able to check them." 

"Hmm…" Yugi thought about it for a few moments before regretfully shaking his head. "Thanks for the suggestion Ryou, but knowing Mr Tyson he'd probably insist on seeing them and that could make trouble for you too!" He frowned slightly. "Although…" His bright smile suddenly lit up his face. He was all but bouncing in his seat as he grinned at Ryou. "I know what I'll do! I'll ask my Grandpa for help! He has all kinds of books and journals relating to Ancient Egypt, and his friend Professor Hawkins is an archaeologist! I'm sure Grandpa will have something I can use!"

Ryou smiled. "That's a great idea, Yugi! Let me know how it works out, all right?" 

"I will! Thanks for the idea!" Yugi winked and Ryou chuckled. 

"What are friends for if not to help work around stubborn history teachers?"

To be continued…


	2. A Possible Solution

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

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The Shadow Library  
Chapter 2: A Possible Solution  
By Shadow's Mirror

"I'm sorry that I couldn't be of more help, Yugi." Solomon Moto eyed his grandson regretfully as the small boy sighed and closed the last of the books lying in front of him on the kitchen table. 

Yugi forced a smile as he looked up. "That's okay, Grandpa! It was worth a try, anyway." His smile became more genuine as he gestured to the books. "At least next time I'll know that you have all of this stuff for me to get my information from." 

His smile suddenly vanished as he felt a faint wave of sorrow wash through the mind-link he had with his yami. "Oh dear… I didn't mean…" He jumped up and smiled apologetically at his Grandpa as he started out of the room. "Sorry Grandpa, I have to…" 

Grandpa nodded. "Go and talk it over with him. Don't worry, Yugi, I'll hold dinner until you're ready for it." He watched his grandson almost run out of the room and sighed softly. "Yugi… I hope he can help you more than I could." He began to clear his journals and reference books away. 

* * *

Yugi softly closed the bedroom door. He was aware of his yami's presence in the room even before he turned and saw him, still in spirit form, standing by the window, staring out into the darkness. 

"I'm sorry, Yami. I didn't mean my comment like it sounded. I wouldn't have missed hearing even a word about Ancient Egypt from you! I just shouldn't have put so much of it into my assignment. I should have realised that you'd know a lot more about it than is known today. I mean… so little of that time has survived… there's still an awful lot that isn't in any of the history books. I knew we had to list our sources. I just didn't think it would work out like this." 

Yugi sighed as he dropped onto his bed. He sat with his head down and wasn't aware that Yami had moved from the window until the familiar deeper voice came from right in front of him. "It is not your fault, Yugi. I told you far more than I should have. It was just… I remember so little that it felt good to be able to tell you something about my past. But in my eagerness, I forgot that such details are easily obscured by the passage of time." Yugi looked up and smiled slightly at his yami. 

"So in other words, neither of us is to blame and we should just consider this a learning experience and work from Grandpa's books when rewriting the assignment?" 

Yami chuckled. "Not exactly. I agree that neither of us is to blame, but I do not believe it is fair of your teacher to force you to rewrite it. All of your information is accurate. You are merely in need of a book that can confirm what I have told you. I have been thinking and I may know of a place where you can find the book you need."

Yugi's eyes lit up and he jumped to his feet, gazing happily up at his brilliant, wonderful, creative, intelligent and totally yummy yami. "Really? Where? Is it far? Will us take us long to get there? When can we go?" He bounced eagerly as he spoke.

"Easy, Yugi!" The spirit's form shimmered as he invoked the magic that allowed him to assume a physical form. He put his hands on his light's shoulders in an effort to calm the excited boy down, even as he chuckled at Yugi's enthusiasm. "There is no rush. The place that I am thinking of is not far at all. We can go tonight, if you wish. Right after dinner." He smiled at the delight on his light's face at that statement. 

"Really? Are you sure they'll be open? Where is it?" Yugi had stopped bouncing at his yami's calming touch, but his enthusiasm was still there. It was beginning to be tempered with reasoning though. He tilted his head, looking at Yami curiously. "How come you didn't mention this place before now? You've known about the assignment rewrite all afternoon."

Yami ducked his head, a faint tide of red washing over his cheeks as he admitted the embarrassing truth. "I forgot that this particular place existed. It has been a very long time since I last heard of it, and even longer since I was last there. A passage in one of Grandpa's books reminded me of it." 

Yugi thought about that for a moment, his agile mind quickly fitting the pieces together. "It's somewhere in the Shadow Realm, isn't it?"

As always, Yami was not surprised by his light's intuition. "Yes, Yugi. Although, unlike many of the places there, it is not represented in this world by a card. It is a private place that only the Monsters, and those few humans powerful enough in the Shadow Magic to be able to travel freely to and from the Realm, are able to access."

"And there's a book there about Ancient Egypt that has everything you told me in it?" Yugi's eyes were all but shining in excitement. Yami smiled and moved to stand beside his light, slipping his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders as he did so. 

"Not just one book, Yugi. It has all of the books on Ancient Egypt, or the Shadow Realm, that you could ever need." He gave his light a gentle hug as Yugi leaned against him. 

"So… where is this place, Yami? Oh! I know!" Yugi excitedly ducked out from under Yami's arm so he was standing in front of him again, looking up at his yami with a big grin. "It's the Dark Magician's tower, isn't it?" 

Yami blinked twice, first at his light's sudden movement and secondly at the unexpected comment. "The Dark Magician's… Actually, that wasn't where I was thinking of, however he might have a book that would suit. We could try there first, if you wish?" He tried to ignore the slight feeling of disappointment, unsure if it was from his light moving away from him or from Yugi's obvious eagerness to visit the Dark Magician. After all, why would either of those make him disappointed?

Yugi hesitated, then his grin shifted into an incredibly sweet and almost shy smile. "I'd rather see the place that you were thinking of," he admitted softly. For a long moment, their gazes held, then Yugi gave an odd little laugh and abruptly turned and headed for the door. "Well, if we're going there tonight, then we'd better go eat! Come on! I know Grandpa made enough for all three of us."

Yami blinked and then smiled. "Grandpa always makes enough to feed an army of Stone Soldiers!" He headed after Yugi, trying to push to the back of his mind the image of Yugi's face in the moment before he'd turned away. Surely that hadn't been a faint blush stealing across his light's cheeks… What reason would Yugi have to blush? No, it must have been a trick of the light. 

Yugi looked up at Yami as the taller boy caught up with him. "You never said where we're going."

Yami smiled down at his light. "The Shadow Realm Library." 

To be continued…


	3. Some Things Never Change

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

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The Shadow Library  
Chapter 3: Some Things Never Change  
By Shadow's Mirror

"I still can't believe that the Shadow Realm has its own library! I can't wait to see it! Are you sure it will still be open? It's getting a bit late." Yugi looked up at the taller boy standing beside him, his enthusiasm causing him to shift restlessly from foot to foot as his amethyst eyes sparkled.

"Time is not a consideration. The library is always open. After all, not all of the Shadow Monsters keep to the same daily schedule. Quite a few are nocturnal."

Yami glanced down at his light with a slight smile before returning his attention to the task of opening a portal to the Shadow Realm. He frowned uneasily as the dark magic began to stir at his command. "Strange. The Shadow Magic is responding more slowly than it usually does. Ah, here we are." His expression cleared as the familiar dark portal shimmered into existence in front of them.

Yugi immediately moved towards the gateway and Yami chuckled as he caught hold of the boy's shoulder. "Wait, Yugi!" He grinned as his light pouted up at him. "I want your first sight of it to be a surprise. So close your eyes…" Yugi giggled as he obeyed and immediately reopened one eye slightly, "… and don't peek!"

Yami lightly tapped Yugi's nose with his finger, then chuckled as both of the boy's eyes snapped open in surprise at the unexpected action. Yami wasn't sure why, but he was suddenly in a rather playful mood. "Yugi! I said to close your eyes! Oh very well then." He moved behind his light. "If you won't close them, then I suppose I shall simply have to do… this!"

Yugi gasped softly as a pair of hands suddenly covered his eyes. "Yami!" he protested with a giggle as he tried to pull away. "I can't go through the portal if I can't see where it is!"

"I will guide you." Yami's voice held the familiar, gentle note that he only ever used with his light. "Trust me."

"I do." Yugi smiled and relaxed, leaning back into the warmth of his darker half's physical form. "But if I trip over the portal, I'll… I'll…" He paused for a moment, apparently considering a suitable punishment. His grin shifted into a mischievous smirk. "I'll tell Grandpa that you love broccoli."

Yami shuddered. If Grandpa thought that someone liked something, he had a habit of serving it up regularly, and usually in double portions. "Yugi! I hate broccoli! How could you even think of doing something so cruel? Especially to me!" He tried to sound upset, but couldn't keep from smiling.

"I won't do it unless I trip, so you'll just have to make sure that I don't!"

"Oh, very well. But since the penalty is so great, I think it only fair that you permit me to take an additional precaution." Yami smirked as Yugi went still for a moment.

"Well… I guess that's okay. What are you going to…" Yugi broke off with a gasp as Yami suddenly shifted his hold. Instead of covering Yugi's eyes with both hands, he managed to use just one. His other arm wrapped securely around his light's waist. "Yami!" Yugi's cry was half protest and half laugh.

"Just making sure that you don't fall, Yugi." Yami chuckled as he nudged the smaller boy forward.

"Wouldn't it be easier to cover my eyes on the other side of the portal?" Yugi followed his yami's silent request and started walking. "It's not like I can see anything until I pass through."

Yami leaned down slightly so his low voice purred in Yugi's ear. "Easier, yes. But not nearly as enjoyable."

Yugi squeaked in surprise as Yami suddenly lifted him several inches off the ground and carried him easily through the portal. When he set Yugi down again on the other side, the light stumbled slightly. "Yami… warn me before doing stuff like that!" His voice sounded rather breathless, which made Yami smirk in smug satisfaction.

"Why Yugi, is something wrong?" The arm around the smaller boy's waist squeezed gently. "You seem a little unsteady on your feet."

"You just surprised me, that's all." Yugi suddenly grinned and shifted, pressing against the solid figure at his back. "So… can I look yet?"

Yami chuckled even as colour flooded into his cheeks. He'd been so focused on his light that he hadn't even glanced around to make sure they were in the right place. Fortunately, there were no witnesses to his minor indiscretion. Even more fortunately, the portal had opened exactly where Yami had intended it to. "Be patient for just a few moments longer." Yami nudged the boy to move.

As soon as his light was in position, Yami removed his hand. His other arm lingered for just a moment longer before he slowly withdrew it. "There is it, Yugi. The Shadow Realm Library!"

Yugi blinked at the sudden change of light. When his eyes finally adjusted, he blinked again. His eager expression became slightly uncertain. "Um… It's… very nice, Yami."

Yami chuckled. "I know it doesn't look like much from the outside, but I promise you, Yugi, inside this…" he waved his arm at the small cottage in front of them, "… simple little building lies all of the collected knowledge of the Shadow Realm."

"If you say so." Yugi eyed the cottage with obvious disbelief.

The building was made of grey-white stone and looked just like a quaint English cottage. It even had a thatched roof! The only difference was that the cottage had no windows. The front wall was entirely stone. The back of the building was nestled so snugly against the forest that the foremost line of trees had grown around it on both sides. At the front, the neatly tended flowerbeds overflowed with flowers in all the colours of the rainbow. The door was painted a cheerful cherry red with a small wooden plaque attached to the stone beside it. Even when they stood right in front of the door, Yugi still couldn't quite make out the old-fashioned lettering etched into the aged wood.

"I can't read it, Yami." Yugi looked up at the taller boy at his side, uneasiness making his normally wide eyes even wider. Yami gave him a reassuring smile.

"Do not worry about it, Yugi. It merely says 'Library'." Yami shrugged. "That is all it has ever said." His eyes lit up as he reached for the door handle. "I have not been here for so long, yet it is exactly as I recall from that time. Truly, some things never change."

He opened the door, bathing them in the soft green light that came from within. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust.

Yugi gasped.

Yami staggered, clutching the doorway for support as he took in what he was seeing. "No… it cannot be!"

To be continued…


	4. The Librarian Appears

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

The Shadow Library  
Chapter 4: The Librarian Appears  
By Shadow's Mirror

Yugi and Yami stared into the room through the open doorway, both too stunned to speak.

The library was no small cottage. Beyond the door was a massive chamber. Bookshelves encircled the room, rising up level upon level in a column of wood, leather and gilded pages. On every level, a large platform jutted from the shelves in an impossible feat of gravity-defying architecture. Each platform held a podium large enough to support a large book, with just enough room left over for a quill and pot of ink. The chamber was lit by large, shimmering green balls of energy that hung from the underside of every platform. Their soft light cast an eerie glow over the purple-robed figures who moved with silent ease around the room, gliding from platform to platform with their robes streaming out behind them like large wings. In the middle of the room stood a large wooden table and sturdy chairs that looked as though they'd been carved from living trees, rather than assembled from pieces of cut wood.

Yugi's already wide eyes grew wider still as he stared around in awe. Finally, he found his voice. "Oh Yami! You were right! This place is incredible!" He gazed around in childish delight.

Yami slumped against the doorway, his shocked gaze slowly taking in the scene before him. "No… It… It can't be…" Yugi looked at him in concern.

"Yami? Are you okay? What's wrong? Do you feel ill?" Yugi reached up and put his hand gently on his yami's forehead. "Well, you don't have a fever or anything." As he removed his hand, his dark half caught it. Yugi blinked down at their joined hands, then looked up, questions in his eyes. "Yami?"

The taller boy smiled slightly and lightly squeezed Yugi's hand. "I am well, Yugi. Do not worry. I was merely… caught unawares." He looked away, into the library, as Yugi stared at him in surprise. "It has been some time since I was here last. I had thought that it would have remained exactly the same but… I was wrong." He looked up at the column of bookshelves and winced. "That was definitely not here before." Yami sighed heavily. "I wonder what else has changed?"

Yugi squeezed his yami's hand back, trying to reassure him. "Everything changes at some point, Yami. But just because it changes, that doesn't mean it's completely different. It looks like it's still a library, only even bigger than it was the last time you were here. Right?"

Yami blinked at his light. "I… had not thought of it in that way. Yes, it is clearly still a library, and yes, it appears to be far more extensive now than it was." He smiled as he straightened. "Thank you, Yugi. I was being foolish. Shall we go in? We need to find you a solution to your problem."

"Oh! That's right!" A faint hint of colour stole into Yugi's cheeks as Yami chuckled. "I didn't forget about it! I just… got distracted for a little while."

Impulsively, Yami raised their joined hands into their line of sight. His eyes gleamed with mischief as he grinned. "So… I distract you, do I?"

"Yami!" Yugi giggled. "Be serious!" He pulled away and was inside the room before Yami could reply. The ex-Pharaoh shook his head, smiling at his light's eagerness even as his eyes took on a wistful look.

"I am." He said it too softly for Yugi to hear, then immediately shook himself free of the wayward thought and followed the enthusiastic boy into the library.

He caught up to Yugi in a few strides. The boy had stopped and was staring up at the tower of shelves in uncertainty. "Yami… there's so many books." He turned to his yami and shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face. "I don't know where to begin looking."

Yami smiled gently. "Then perhaps we should ask someone?"

Yugi nodded, but made no move towards any of the robed figures. He fidgeted for a moment before looking down at the floor. "They all seem so busy. I hate to disturb them."

"Oh do not worry, young Master Yugi. They love being interrupted! It gives them an excuse to show off their knowledge. Then they are smug about it for the rest of the day. On second thoughts, perhaps you had best ask me instead. How may I help you?"

Both boys jumped at the unexpected voice. They looked around for the speaker, then blinked at each other. There was no one around! Yami moved slightly in front of Yugi, instinctively protective. "You could tell us who you are. And show yourself!"

"Show myself? What do you mean? I am right… Ah… I see what you mean. Oh my. How embarrassing! I do apologise Master Yami, Master Yugi! If you would not mind coming over to the table, I will see if I can made myself a little more… visible."

Yugi and Yami blinked at each other again before shrugging and slowly approaching the table. As they neared it, they noticed that the pile of papers sitting there was moving, as if someone unseen was going through them! One page suddenly rose up and began to hover in mid air.

"Ah! Here it is! Now let me see… hmm…

Shadows that conceal,  
Return to your dark place.  
Light now reveal,  
My identity and face."

A shimmer of light rippled through the air. Beneath its touch, a solid form began to appear before the two boys' startled eyes. By the time the light faded, the speaker was standing in front of them, now fully visible.

The Shadow Monster was in the form of a humanoid eagle, with tawny feathers, talons instead of hands and feet, and two immense wings sprouting from his back. His lime-green outer robe was open down the front, revealing a second robe of forest-green beneath it. His hooked beak and sharp talons looked rather dangerous, but the eyes that blinked at Yugi and Yami from beneath his feathered brow were gentle and wise. Both boys immediately recognised him.

"There. That's more like it!" The Spirit of the Books turned to Yugi and Yami. "I do apologise for the confusion. I was proofreading a manuscript for a new spell book, you see. Unfortunately, I forgot myself and accidentally read part of it out loud."

Yami blinked. "You cast an Invisibility spell on yourself?"

The Spirit of the Books looked rather embarrassed. "Yes, although I didn't realise it until you pointed it out." He glanced thoughtfully down at the manuscript. "This is obviously not a good book to proofread when you have a tendency to read aloud to yourself." Both Yami and Yugi winced and nodded in agreement. The Shadow Monster chuckled.

"Now that is sorted out, to what do we owe the pleasure, and honour, of your presence here tonight?" He looked from Yami to Yugi and back again, his eyes bright with anticipation.

"Um… well… I…" Yugi sent a pleading glance to Yami, too embarrassed to explain. His darker half smiled at him and nodded, placing a calming hand upon the small boy's shoulder.

"We require some assistance with a troublesome History teacher. I provided Yugi with some information about Ancient Egypt for an assignment, however the teacher does not believe it to be true. He has demanded that Yugi either name his source or rewrite the assignment. None of the books in the outside world contain the information. I am hoping that one of the books here might."

The Spirit of the Books had started nodding as soon as the words 'History teacher' had been spoken. He turned to Yugi and spoke gently to the blushing boy. "What information do you need a source for?"

"I made a list." Yugi pulled a rather rumpled piece of paper from his pocket. His cheeks went bright red and he darted a glance at Yami before handing the paper to the Spirit of the Books. "I… I'm sorry it's like that. I hope you can still read it."

A faint tide of colour washed over Yami's cheeks as he realised how the paper had come to be in such a state. He must have crushed it when he had carried Yugi through the portal. He looked away quickly; trying to act as though there was nothing going on and it certainly wasn't his fault.

The Spirit of the Books blinked and looked at the two boys. They were both blushing and trying to hide it. Yami was also trying to look innocent. The Spirit of the Books hid his smile. Yami was failing miserably. "As I often say to Dark Witch and D. Human, I don't think I want to know." He chuckled as both boys shot him startled looks, then turned his attention to the piece of paper.

"Hmm…" He looked at Yugi again. "Do not worry, Master Yugi. I believe I can assist you."

To be continued…


	5. Knowledge of the Shadows

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

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The Shadow Library  
Chapter 5: Knowledge of the Shadows  
By Shadow's Mirror

"Can you really help me?" At the Spirit of the Books' calm announcement, Yugi forgot his shyness and embarrassment. He stared at the librarian, his wide eyes shining with a mix of shock and relief.

The Spirit of the Books nodded. "I certainly can." He gestured at the shelf-clad walls around them. "Within these books lies all of the knowledge of those who dwell in this Realm of Shadows. I know every book, although I must admit that not even I know all that is written upon every page. However, as long as it is within these walls, I can find whatever information is needed. These books hold more than knowledge. They are all part of my power. They are all part of me, as I am part of them."

As he spoke, he moved to the middle of the room and extended his wings. On his final word, his wings began to beat, their powerful strokes lifting him into the air. He hovered for a moment, his eyes closing as a faint golden aura surrounded him. The air stirred, suddenly alive with magic. As the Spirit of the Books' power called, responding glows began appearing around the room. His eyes snapped open again as the light around him faded. For the next few minutes, he swooped, soared and glided gracefully from shelf to shelf in a stunning display of aerial agility. When he had gathered all of the glowing books, the librarian spiraled slowly down and landed lightly in front of Yugi and Yami.

"Ah! I enjoyed that! There is nothing as good as stretching your wings after a long day of leaning over manuscripts." He put his armload of books down on the table and looked over at the two boys. They were both staring at him, speechless. His eyes twinkled with amusement. Apparently his little show had surprised them. "Here you are Master Yugi, these books contain the information you are seeking."

Yugi blinked and came out of his daze. His smile lit up his face as he trotted over to the table. "Wow! Really?" Hope shone from his wide amethyst eyes as he looked up at the Spirit of the Books. The librarian nodded. Yugi beamed at the books for a moment, but then his happy smile faded into a worried frown. "But… is it really okay for me to borrow these?"

The Spirit of the Books chuckled. "It will be. There are just two minor details that need to be dealt with first. I will need to cast a special spell on the books, to disguise them so their true origins are hidden. After all, I doubt if your teacher would believe the titles of the books, let alone the names of their authors. It is not every day that you come across a book written by the Dark Sage after all! Which is a very good thing, considering that his writing is so dry it makes dust look like an mud puddle." He winked at Yugi as the boy laughed. Passing one taloned hand over the books he concentrated. The ancient tomes shimmered as they were disguised for their trip to the outer world. "There, done. Which leaves only one thing."

As he spoke, the librarian reached under the table and opened a small drawer there. He pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill pen and a pot of ink and pushed them across the table to Yugi. "You need a library card. If you would be so kind as to fill that out, Master Yugi…"

"Is that really necessary? I mean, you know who he is!" Yami protested as Yugi grinned and started filling in the form.

"Yes. I do. He is the light of someone who borrowed a book and did not return it on time." The Spirit of the Books fixed Yami with a stern gaze as Yugi gasped and looked up from the form in shock.

Yami blinked. "What? When was that? I haven't been here since…" He trailed off, trying to remember.

"I believe it was called 'Tactics and Strategies to Win Battles with Weak Monsters', by the Armed Ninja." The Spirit of the Books' words made Yami wince.

Yugi eyed his yami in concern. "Yami? What's wrong? You've gone really pale. Are you okay?"

Yami shook himself out of his daze and put his hand reassuringly on his worried light's shoulder. He squeezed gently but was obviously still rather distracted as he eyed the librarian in shock. "You remember that? I borrowed that book over five thousand years ago!"

The Spirit of the Books' eyes twinkled. "Be very glad that this library does not impose late fees."

If Yami had been anyone other than the ex-Pharaoh that he was, he would have whimpered at the thought. As it was, he turned paler still, then a tide of colour washed over his cheeks and his eyes focused on the floor as if it was suddenly the most fascinating thing he had ever seen.

Yugi blinked. "Yami! You mean you didn't bring it back at all?" He winced as his darker half's blush deepened in silent confirmation. "Oh, Yami…" The light shook his head, obviously dismayed at the thought that his own yami could have done something so scandalous.

"I intended to return it. I kept… forgetting." The mumbled words were so soft they were barely audible. "Then that incident with Bakura and Set happened and… well, I could hardly return the book after I was trapped within the Puzzle!"

Yugi looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to the Spirit of the Books. "He has a point there."

The Spirit of the Books shook his head. "I will admit, it is an original excuse. It certainly makes a nice change from 'the Gigatech Wolf ate it'. However, I feel obliged to point out that he borrowed the book almost a year before that incident occurred, and the lending period is only one lunar month."

As Yami became the recipient of Yugi's saddest expression, the librarian chuckled softly. "Due to the nature of the book, it should have followed your soul into the Millennium Puzzle. If you search your soulroom, you should be able to find it."

"Search my…!" Yami's head snapped up, his startled eyes staring at the Spirit of the Books. "Have you any idea how complex my soulroom is?"

Yugi nodded. "It's a cross between 'Labyrinth' and M.C. Escher, only with more traps." He turned to his yami, his eyes suddenly appearing even larger, brighter and more vivid in colour than usual. "But I'm sure that if we look really hard, we'll find it in no time, Yami! I'll help you! We'll find it together! Because when we're together, there's nothing that we can't do!" He smiled happily up at his darker half.

Yami blinked, stunned by the wide eyes that were so filled with hope and determination. There was something else in those eyes too. Another emotion. Part of his mind called it 'simple friendship' and sent a warm fuzzy feeling into his heart. Another part of his mind labeled it 'hero worship' and pumped up his ego even as it prodded him to feel protective of his innocent and defenceless light. The rest of Yami's mind merely removed the word 'no' from his vocabulary until he recovered from his daze. How could he possibly refuse his light anything when Yugi looked at him with those eyes?

"Very well, Yugi." Yami smiled slightly as he gently ruffled the smaller boy's hair. "We will search for it. Together." The beaming smile he received in response almost made the thought of searching through the maze of his soulroom bearable. Almost. As Yugi returned his attention to his form, Yami somehow managed to keep himself from groaning out loud.

- - -

As soon as the form was completed, the Spirit of the Books handed Yugi a small card. It was made of parchment and had the words 'Royal Magical Library' printed neatly on it in black ink. The hieroglyphs inscribed around the edges of the card were also black. Yami frowned slightly as he read them over Yugi's shoulder. "It appears to be a spell of some kind."

The Spirit of the Books nodded. "Yes, it is a ward-spell against theft, loss, damage or destruction. A little something the Dark Magician came up with at one point, when he grew tired of replacing his card all the time." Yami raised an eyebrow in silent query. "It keep being charred to ashes during encounters with Blue Eyes White Dragons or soaked into an unrecognisable state by the Maiden of the Aqua."

Yugi was distracted from his admiration of his new library card. "The Maiden of the Aqua?" He blinked in confusion. Yami raised an eyebrow again. The Spirit of the Books chuckled.

"Yes. There was a little incident involving a hot spring, her clothes and an accidentally-multiplied Kuriboh. That was about four thousand years ago, but it still comes up in conversation every now and then. The Maiden of the Aqua vowed revenge, naturally. Eventually, she calmed down enough to stop soaking the Dark Magician every time he passed a lake, stream, pool or puddle. Still, those few hundred years did give him plenty of opportunities to perfect his hat-drying spell."

Yugi's eyes were wide with shock. "She was mad at him for that long?"

"I think the fact that the Stern Mystic was there at the time might have had something to do with that. He gave her a lecture about showing her knees in public." The Spirit of the Books paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Which was rather odd, now that I come to think of it. The middle of the forest was hardly what I would call 'public'. For that matter, I very much doubt if anyone present was taking all that much notice of her knees at the time. I know I wasn't."

Yugi and Yami were still trying to get over that excess of information when something unexpected happened. A previously unnoticed door in the library's back wall suddenly opened and a small figure stepped hesitantly into the room, pausing just inside the doorway to look around.

The Spirit of the Books gasped. "What are you doing here?"

To be continued…


	6. Wild Magic

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

**The Shadow Library  
Chapter 6: Wild Magic**  
By Shadow's Mirror

At the sound of the Spirit of the Books' voice, the small figure who had just entered the library turned to look over at the table, his arms tightening for a moment around the large book that he carried.

The Shadow Monster had the appearance of a human child around 12 years old. Light ash-brown hair tumbled in gentle waves to just below his shoulders, the colour a stark contrast to the black of the wide brimmed witches hat perched on the back of his head. A simple black robe draped over his small, slender form, the enveloping folds covering him from his shoulders to the floor and leaving only his face, neck and hands bare. In the soft light of the mage orbs, his eyes appeared to shine silvery-green. Perhaps it was the eerie light, but the boy looked pale and drawn with dark shadows beneath his eyes.

Talons clicked against the stone floor as the Spirit of the Books hurried forwards. "You should not be out here, my boy." His voice was stern, but with caring rather than anger. "You are supposed to be in your room, resting." His voice became gentle. "If you needed me, you should have used the bell."

The boy bowed his head. "I know. I'm sorry." He peeked up at the librarian from beneath his fringe. "It was just that…" Trailing off, he silently held out his book. The Spirit of the Books chuckled.

"Ah! I see! You finished your book and wanted another." As he accepted the book with one hand, his other hand lightly patted the young Monster's shoulder. "Very well. I will get it for you. But next time…" A talon slipped beneath the boy's chin, gently lifting his face. "Next time, use the bell."

"I will." The boy smiled slightly.

The Spirit of the Books nodded and turned away, talking as he moved. "Another book of fairytales?"

The boy's smile widened. "Yes, please."

As he raised the hand not currently holding a book, the librarian's eyes narrowed in concentration. His hand began to glow with a faint golden light; similar to the one that had enveloped his body earlier in the night, when he had located the books that Yugi needed. This time, only one book responded to the magical call. Instead of flying up to get it though, the Spirit of the Books merely nodded. The book shimmered and faded from its position on the shelf, reappearing a moment later in the librarian's hand.

When the book was given to him, the boy's smile seemed to chase the shadows and pallor from his face for a moment. "Thank you."

The Spirit of the Books looked down at the little Shadow Monster and his beak somehow managed to curve into a gentle smile. "You are welcome, my boy. Now, off to your room with you." The boy nodded and turned towards the door, pausing when the librarian spoke again. "If you need me…" The Spirit of the Books paused, eyeing the boy expectantly.

The young Shadow Monster smiled over his shoulder. "I'll use the bell. I promise." He opened the door and was gone as suddenly as he had arrived.

For a moment after the young boy's departure, the Spirit of the Books remained where he was, apparently lost in thought. Finally, he gave a heavy sigh.

"Um… Spirit of the Books? Is something wrong?" Yugi's tentative question made the librarian gasp and whirl around. He stared at the boy with wide eyes.

"Oh. Oh my. I completely forgot… Yes, I was in the middle of signing out your books, was I not? Oh dear. I do apologise, Master Yugi!" He hurried back to the table and flicked one hand. A massive book appeared in front of him, along with a quill pen and pot of ink. He reached for the quill and started to dip it in the ink, then blinked as a hand rested lightly on his. He looked up and blinked again as he met Yami's serious eyes. "What…?"

Yami eyed the Spirit of the Books in concern. Since the boy's appearance, he had been feeling rather uneasy and he wasn't sure why. But he intended to find out. "Something is disturbing you. Is there any way we may assist?"

"Oh! No! There is nothing…" The librarian trailed off with a sigh as Yami frowned at him. "No. You are quite correct. There is something. However, I fear that it is out of even your hands, Master Yami." The ex-Pharaoh raised an eyebrow at that.

"Try me."

The Spirit of the Books started to shake his head, but paused as Yugi suddenly spoke up. "That boy just now… it has something to do with him, doesn't it? Who is he? He didn't look very well."

"You are very observant." The Spirit of the Books smiled slightly. He thought for a moment before nodding slowly, apparently making a decision. "Very well then." He took a deep breath.

"Every now and then the Shadow Magic becomes… a little wild. It usually lasts no more than a week or two, but during that time it has certain effects on things here. The most obvious is that the weather becomes unpredictable, however we creatures of the Shadows are all affected to some extent also. Tempers become short and the weaker among us will lose control and attack more quickly than usual. But it also means that the power of the Shadows does not respond as readily when we call it. Normally, it enhances our own power. However, at times like this, it has the opposite effect. It weakens us, mentally and physically." He paused for a moment, absently toying with his quill pen.

"Although we are all linked to the Shadow Magic, some of us are linked more closely to it than others. Monsters like myself, with our own magical abilities, rarely require more power than we can supply ourselves, and so we remain relatively unaffected at times such as these. Then there are others whose abilities require more power than they can provide naturally. They end up restricted in their actions, since they weaken if they call upon the magic. However…" The Spirit of the Books sighed heavily.

"However, there are a few who are extremely sensitive to the magic of this Realm. For them, it is like a living, breathing shadow. Wherever they go, whatever they do, it is constantly with them. A part of them. When it becomes unstable, they are the first to know. The first to be affected." He paused for a moment, his head bowing. When he spoke again, his voice was very soft, and more than a little sad.

"That boy, Fire Sorcerer, is one of those few. He has been ill for a few days now."

There was a moment of silence and then the Spirit of the Books looked up. He somehow managed to look reassuring. "But please, do not be concerned. As I said, this has happened many times in the past, and I have no doubt that it will continue in the future. Once the Shadow Magic calms, everything will return to normal and those who are ill will become well again. In the meantime, there is really nothing that can be done. We can only wait."

Yugi was obviously upset at this. Yami put a hand on his light's shoulder, squeezing it gently in reassurance. But the gesture had little effect. "Are you sure there's nothing we can do to help?" Yugi looked up at the Spirit of the Books, his normally wide eyes even wider with worry.

The librarian shook his head. His eyes met Yugi's, the gentle compassion in them calming the small boy immediately. "Thank you, but no. I am certain. All that is needed is time. Please, do not worry. Things will sort themselves out. They always do."

Yami nodded. After a moment, Yugi did too. The Spirit of the Books' beak curved into a slight smile. "Now then… I believe I was checking out these books for you…"

- - -

When Yugi and Yami left the library a few minutes later, they were far more serious than they had been when they had entered. As if the Spirit of the Books' words had awakened their senses, they were both now aware of a strange feeling to the air. Yugi kept very close to his yami as they walked back to the shimmering dark portal that would take them home. When Yami slipped one arm around his shoulders, Yugi was quick to lean into the comforting warmth.

Yami looked down at his light, a slight frown creasing his brow. It wasn't like his light to be so quiet. They had found what they been seeking. Normally Yugi would have been chattering and bouncing along happily a few steps ahead of him. What the Spirit of the Books had said was weighing on both their minds, but hadn't he also said that they shouldn't worry about it?

"Yugi, not even I know everything about this Realm. How could we know what is natural here? The Spirit of the Books said that this has happened before. I did not detect anything in his tone or actions to suggest that he was lying, or that he was particularly worried about it. He was concerned, yes, but I believe that was solely due to Fire Sorcerer's condition. If it were you… I would feel the same way."

Yugi looked up at his yami. "You would?" He smiled slightly. "Thanks, Yami. I'd be worried about you too, if you were ill." His smile faded and he looked away, returning his attention to the path. After a moment, he started talking again.

"I feel sorry for Fire Sorcerer. It surprised me too. That a Shadow Monster could get ill, I mean. I guess I never really thought about it before. But you're right. There isn't anything we can do, so there's no sense in worrying about it. Although…" He looked back up at his Yami, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "Do you think maybe we could bring Fire Sorcerer a get well present the next time we come here?"

Yami chuckled softly. That was so like his thoughtful, gentle light. "Of course we will, Yugi."

As he smiled down at the small boy beside him, his earlier streak of mischief reappeared in the form of a sudden thought. More than anything at that moment, Yami wanted to lighten the serious mood that had surrounded them.

"Yugi, when a boy carries someone's books for them, it has some special meaning, does it not?"

"Huh?" Yugi blinked up at Yami, momentarily confused by the change of topic. "Well, sometimes, yes. It can mean that they like each other, or that they're dating. Why?"

Yami smirked. "Oh, I just wanted to be sure it meant what I thought it did. So… does that mean that this is our first date?"

Yugi froze, forcing his yami to stop walking too. The startled light stared up at the taller boy. "W…what? " he finally managed to squeak.

Yami's smirk widened and he glanced down. Yugi's eyes instinctively did the same. His gaze fell on the library books his darker half had insisted on carrying home. He gasped, his cheeks flooding with colour as he realised what Yami was talking about. For a moment he was speechless, then he seemed to catch sight of the gleam in the other boy's eyes. Or perhaps it was the waves of amusement echoing through their mind link that clued him in on the joke.

"Yami!"

The ex-pharaoh was still laughing as he ran through the portal to home, his irritated light in hot pursuit.

To be continued…


	7. The First to Fall

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Text in **bold** is being spoken with emphasis.

The Shadow Library  
Chapter 7: The First to Fall  
By Shadow's Mirror

"There! All done!" Yugi put the last full stop on the page and leaned back in his chair to survey his handiwork with a proud grin.

Yami stirred. He had been lying on his stomach on Yugi's bed, contentedly indulging in one of his favourite pastimes. Yugi-watching. It never ceased to amaze him how animated his light was, even while simply sitting in a chair writing. He'd had to keep from chuckling several times at the boy's facial expressions. His light was good at a lot of things, but keeping his thoughts and emotions from showing on his face was definitely not one of them!

Yugi's mood had become more cheerful as he wrote up the bibliography for his history assignment. The Spirit of the Books had been absolutely right. Between them, the library books contained every detail that Yugi had needed a source for. Now that he had finished writing, he was wriggling with what his darker half judged to be anticipation, considering the emotions coming through their mind link.

"You are in a good mood." Yami's soft comment caused Yugi to turn around and grin at him.

"Uh huh! I can't wait to see the look on Mr Tyson's face when I hand this bibliography in! Especially since I can also produce the books listed on it!" If Yugi's smile had been any brighter, it would have lit up the room. "He'll have to admit that I didn't make up any of it!" He wiggled happily in his chair.

Yami chuckled. "Good." He shifted position, raising himself up off the bed so he was leaning on his elbows. His eyes gleamed as he looked at his light. "Do you have any more homework to do?"

"Nope! That was the last of it!" Yugi almost cheered in his joy.

"Oh good. In that case…" Yami smirked, his predatory gaze locked on his light. Yugi froze as he finally noticed the look in his darker half's eyes.

"Uh… Yami… You have that look on your face again. What are you thinking about?"

Yami's smirk grew. "Well, it's still early. Since you have finished your homework, why don't we… play for a little while." As he spoke, he slowly moved off the bed and stalked across the room to where his little light was sitting. Yugi blinked up at him in confusion. Yami smiled down at him.

"Yami… why are you asking like that? We duel every night if I finish my homework early enough. Why would tonight be any different? I'll get my deck!" Yugi grinned at his silly Yami and jumped up. He blinked as Yami suddenly stepped into his path. "Um… Yami?"

"Actually Yugi…" Yami leaned down slightly, his gleaming eyes locked with his light's. "I had… another game in mind." His voice was soft and smooth, like velvet. Colour flooded into Yugi's cheeks.

"A…another game?" the boy squeaked. He swallowed and tried again. "W…what game?"

Yami was still smirking. He leaned a little closer, so his face was only a few inches from Yugi's. His gaze never wavered and his expression never changed as he suddenly moved his head around to whisper directly in his innocent little light's ear. "My greatest desire right now is to play… Scrabble."

"Oh ye… Huh?" Yugi came out of his yami-induced daze with a jolt as he realised what his darker half had just said. "Scrabble?" He glared as his chuckling yami straightened up again, the taller boy's eyes still gleaming… in amusement. "Oh no! Absolutely not! There is no way I'm playing **that** with you! Not again!"

Yami looked hurt. "But Yugi. I like Scrabble. Why will you not play with me?"

Yugi was still glaring at his yami. "Because you cheat." Yami opened his mouth but Yugi shook his head and wouldn't let him get a word in. "Don't deny it! The last time we played, you used all those funny words."

"But I told you, Yugi. They were Egyptian." Yami tried to look innocent. He couldn't quite manage it.

"Somehow Yami, I doubt if 'hzztrsgw' is Egyptian for 'my pretty one'. Even the Egyptian language uses vowels!" Yugi sighed as his anger began to fade. He never could remain angry at his yami for very long. "No, Yami. Pouting isn't going to change my mind."

Yami sighed and gave in. "Very well, Yugi. I will accept your decision. Shall we duel then?" Yugi nodded happily and went to get his deck. Yami watched him with a slight smirk on his face, his eyes gleaming again. 'Someday, Yugi, I will get you to play Scrabble with me again.' On the other side of the room, Yugi suddenly giggled.

"Yami… did you mean to send that through our link?"

- - -

Yugi had just managed to summon the Magician of Black Chaos onto the field and was about to destroy Yami's Flame Champion when his grandfather called out that there was a phone-call for him. By the time he'd returned, Yami had managed to come up with four strategies to turn the match back in his favour. One look at the expression on his light's face made him forget about dueling though.

"Yugi? What is it? Is something wrong?" He jumped to his feet, immediately alert. Yugi smiled weakly and waved him back down again.

"No, nothing's wrong. At least… not exactly." When Yami tensed, Yugi shook his head quickly. "No, Yami, I didn't mean it like that. Oh… Let me start again." He sat down on the floor opposite Yami.

"That was Téa. She called to see if we had heard about the new Egyptian exhibit opening at the museum tomorrow."

"A new exhibit?" Yami eyed his light eagerly for a moment before reason and caution intervened. "Strange… Malik didn't say anything about it. Surely Isis would have told him…" Yami trailed off as he remembered the last time they'd gone to a new Egyptian exhibit as a group. Isis had found it rather difficult to explain to the museum director how a rubber chicken had come to be handcuffed to one of the priceless Ancient Egyptian statues. Especially since it was in a locked glass case with all sorts of security alarms and not a single one of them had gone off. "Then again, perhaps not."

Yugi chuckled softly. "I don't know. But from what Téa told me, it sounds really interesting."

Yami smiled and nodded. "Then we will go and see it." He frowned slightly when his light merely nodded. Yugi was acting very unlike his usual cheerful self. He'd also been gone for some time. Surely he and Téa had spoken about more than just a new exhibit? "Was there something else, Yugi?"

Yugi sighed and bowed his head, staring down at the ground for a moment. He looked up again, his eyes filled with worry and confusion. "Well… yes."

- - -

In the Royal Magical Library of the Shadow Realm, the Spirit of the Books was in the middle of a conversation with one of his assistants. They were still debating whether a book on Enchanted Cookery belonged in the Household Spells section or the Recipe section, when the urgent ringing of a bell echoed through the room. The librarian immediately headed for the door and was soon hurrying down the passageway that joined the library to his small house. He was halfway down the corridor when the sound of the bell suddenly stopped.

The librarian paused in surprise, then shrugged and continued down the hall. Fire Sorcerer had probably just figured that his summons had been heard and so had decided to stop ringing his bell. But there was something about the sudden silence that caused a shiver of unease to run up the Spirit of the Books' back. He found himself running the rest of the way to the boy's room. When he pushed open the door, he was not surprised by what he saw.

Fire Sorcerer was lying on the floor, unconscious. His cheeks were flushed with the fever that had suddenly overtaken him, the bright colour all the more obvious against the boy's overly-pale skin.

The Spirit of the Books gathered the fragile form into his arms, the ease at which he lifted the boy drawing a sigh from deep within him. The slight weight was just another sign of how ill the little sorcerer was. He carried him to the bed and shifted his hold, freeing one hand to pull back the covers.

As he gently laid the feverish child down on the bed, the Spirit of the Books sighed again. Earlier that night, he had told Master Yami about the change to the Shadow Magic and it's effects on the creatures of the Shadow Realm. He had said that Fire Sorcerer was among those who felt the effects more keenly than most. All of that had been true. However…

He had not told Master Yami everything.

"The first to sense the change. The first to feel its effects. The first to fall to its hunger." The Spirit of the Books leaned over the child and stroked the damp hair off the small face with one gentle talon.

"I had best notify the others. It has begun."

To be continued…


	8. Mysteries of Fire and Ice

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Text in **bold** is being emphasised.

****

The Shadow Library  
Chapter 8: Mysteries of Fire and Ice  
By Shadow's Mirror

"F… Father! N… no!"

There was such pain in the soft, sobbing cries. Fire Sorcerer whimpered and tossed restlessly, his unconscious mind lost within the tormenting dreams his fever was inflicting upon him. The Spirit of the Books pulled his chair closer to the bed and gently smoothed the covers over the child, his eyes reflecting the pain in Fire Sorcerer's voice.

"He's crying for you." A low voice spoke up from the doorway.

"No. He is not." The Spirit of the Books looked over at the visitor, a sad smile curving his beak.

The Dark Magician sighed. "Well he should be." He crossed the room to the small desk and sat on the edge of it, then bowed his head, the action shadowing his eyes so his expression could not be seen. The tension seemed to drain out of him and he suddenly looked very tired. "You're more of a father to him than that fool ever was!" There was a trace of contempt in the tone, and just a spark of anger.

A soft chuckle made the mage look up in surprise. The Spirit of the Books had turned and was smiling at him. "Perhaps. Fire Sorcerer may be the son of my heart, however…" His smile faded and he turned back to the boy as another whimper shook the small figure. "However, Valen was Roland's son by blood. Such a bond is not easily forgotten. Nor should it be."

The Dark Magician smiled slightly. "As usual, old friend, you are far wiser than I."

"If only that were true. Then perhaps I would know of a way to prevent this." The Spirit of the Books' voice trembled almost as much as the taloned hand that continued to smooth the unwrinkled covers. The hand paused in its movements and suddenly clenched into a fist. "Why? Why must he always be the first to suffer, and why so greatly?"

"I do not know." The Dark Magician hesitated and then sighed. When he spoke again, his voice was very soft. "However… I suspect that it is because, of all of us, he was the only one who came here from beyond the boundary of life."

The Spirit of the Books thought about that for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yes. The Shadows restored his soul. Such a thing creates a powerful bond. I see." He sighed. "I cannot regret it though. Because of that, he lives."

The Dark Magician smiled gently. "Because of **you**, he lives."

"Me? No. I merely did what I had to do. To save him, I would have given my own life in exchange."

"Instead… you gave half of your soul."

The small figure in the bed stirred, his eyes weakly fluttering open. He blinked for a moment before his gaze settled on the Spirit of the Books. "Papa…"

"I am here, my boy. You are safe. Rest now." Fire Sorcerer obediently closed his eyes again; slipping into a deep sleep as a taloned hand lightly stroked his hair.

The Spirit of the Books looked over his shoulder at the Dark Magician. He smiled, despite the tears that were dampening the feathers beneath his glistening eyes.

"I would have given all of it. Gladly."

- - -

Yami eyed his light with concern. After saying that there had been something else that he'd had to tell him, Yugi had fallen silent. Through their mind link, Yami could sense worry and confusion, but there was also quite a bit of stunned surprise. "Yugi? What is wrong? What else did you and Téa speak of?"

"Well… after she told me about the new exhibit, she asked me if I'd had any luck with my history assignment. I told her it was all sorted out, thanks to the Spirit of the Books. Then I told her all about how you had taken me to the Shadow Realm and showed me the Library, and how the Spirit of the Books solved my problem." Yugi looked up and smiled, his warm gaze meeting Yami's for a moment before the seriousness of the situation pulled him out of his happy memories again. "Then I told her about Fire Sorcerer. How he was ill and what the Spirit of the Books had said about it."

Yugi dropped his gaze to the floor and fell silent. Yami waited for a moment, but Yugi only sighed. The dark spirit shifted uncomfortably as the silence wore on his nerves. He could be patient, when he had to be, but there was only so much anticipation he could stand! "And?"

The smaller boy jumped in surprise, his head snapping up. He blinked at his darker half for a moment, his eyes wide with shock. "Oh! I'm sorry, Yami. I…" Colour flooded Yugi's cheeks.

Yami frowned uneasily. Whatever the problem was, it must be serious. His light had apparently been so focused on it that Yugi had not only forgotten that he was in the middle of a conversation, but that Yami was even in the room! "Yugi? What was Téa's response? It has obviously disturbed you."

Yugi took a deep breath. It seemed to calm him a little, although the blush was still lightly staining his cheeks when he replied. "Not… disturbed exactly. More like confused. I mean… I trust Téa. I believe her. I know she would never lie to me. So she must have seen it. But… what she saw… It's just so incredible. So unbelievable. She can't be right." He shook his head. "No, there has to be some sort of explanation. I believe her. But I saw him. I know he was real."

By this point, Yami was completely bewildered by his light's words. "Yugi? What are you…?" He trailed off as his light suddenly shifted, moving to his knees and then leaning forward. Yami suddenly found himself caught by a pair of wide, anxious eyes.

"You saw him too, right Yami?"

"I… Yugi…" Yami leaned forward, his hands reaching out until they rested on his distressed light's shoulders, the touch causing Yugi to blink and go still. "Yugi, please, you need to calm down. I do not understand. Who are you asking me about? What are you trying to tell me? What did Téa say?"

The concern in Yami's voice seemed to get through to Yugi. He took a shaky breath and released it as an embarrassed chuckle. "I'm sorry, Yami. I didn't mean to overreact. I guess it shook me more than I thought."

"Whatever it is, Yugi, we will deal with it. Just as we always do. Together." Yami gently rubbed his light's shoulders, trying to ease the boy's tension. He was rewarded with a small smile.

"You're right, Yami." Yugi looked into his darker half's eyes with the intensity that he usually only showed during very important duels. "During Battle City, do you remember when the Kaiba Corp. blimp was hijacked by the Big Five and we were forced to duel them?"

Yami blinked, the change of topic catching him by surprise. "Of course. What of it?"

"When I told Téa that we'd met Fire Sorcerer, she told me that it was one of her favourite cards. I asked her why and she said it was because it had been such a help to her during her duel against Penguin-guy." Yugi paused as Yami snickered. "Hey, that's what Téa calls him! Don't laugh, this is serious!"

"Sorry, Yugi. Go on, Fire Sorcerer helped Tea during her duel… and?" Yami tried to keep his amusement in check, but the image of the large Penguin form that one of the Big Five had chosen to use kept popping into his mind.

Yugi sighed and gave his yami a slightly irritated look. "It wasn't that funny. Anyway, Téa was really worried about 'that poor little girl' being ill." He paused, waiting for Yami to realise what he'd just said.

Yami blinked and then chuckled. "Ah! Téa mistook Fire Sorcerer for being a girl, did she?" He grinned at his light. "I can see how some people would be confused. He does look somewhat feminine."

"So you're certain that Fire Sorcerer is a boy then?" There was an odd gleam in Yugi's eyes and something about the way he'd said that made Yami suddenly wary.

"Of course, Yugi. Even if there had been any doubt, the Spirit of the Books referred to him as such several times. He even called him 'my boy' twice, as I recall." Yami frowned slightly as he sensed the whirling chaos of Yugi's thoughts through their mind link. It had calmed a little, but now it was stirring again. "Yugi, what is this about? What is troubling you so greatly? Is it because Téa believed Fire Sorcerer to be a girl?"

Yugi shook his head. "It's more than that. When I told Téa that Fire Sorcerer was a boy, she gave me a description of the Monster she'd dueled with." He gazed anxiously into the other boy's eyes.

"Yami… Téa's description… It didn't match the Fire Sorcerer we saw tonight."

To be continued…


	9. Holograms Don't Lie

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Text in **bold** is being emphasised.

****

The Shadow Library  
Chapter 9: Holograms Don't Lie  
By Shadow's Mirror

"You want me to do what? I always suspected that you were insane. This proves it." Kaiba shook his head and turned. "I agreed to meet with you because you said it was important. If I'd known that you were only going to waste my time, I would never have come. You know the way out." He started walking away.

"Kaiba! Wait!" Ignoring the irritated voice in his mind that was urging him to let Kaiba go, Yugi hurried after the taller boy. "I know it's a strange request, but I promise you there is a very good reason for it! Please, won't you at least hear me out?"

Kaiba sighed and paused, although he didn't turn around. "I know I'm going to regret this." He sighed again. "You have five minutes. I suggest you don't waste them."

Yugi smiled. "Thank you Kaiba!"

"Four and a half."

Yugi's mind raced. Somehow he had to convince Kaiba to do what he wanted. "Mokuba once told me that you pride yourself on the accuracy of your Duel Monster holograms."

Kaiba turned his head ever so slightly. "What of it?"

The response was encouraging. Kaiba was listening, at least. Yugi took a deep breath and plunged onward. "What would you say if I told you that one of your holograms might not be accurate?"

"Impossible." Kaiba whirled around, his brilliant blue eyes flashing with fury. "I programmed every one of them myself. They are accurate down to the last detail."

Kaiba's certainty made Yugi blink, but he knew he couldn't back down. "How do you know, Kaiba? I mean, you've never been to the Shadow Realm so you've never actually seen any of the Shadow Monsters for real. So how do you know what they all look like and how they move and attack?"

Even as he said it, Yugi wondered why he'd never thought to ask that question before. It did seem rather odd that the holograms were all so accurate. From the way Kaiba's eyes suddenly shifted, no longer willing to meet his gaze, Yugi knew it was something that Kaiba did not want to answer. He was also suddenly sure that it was important for him to know. "Kaiba?"

"Pegasus." The word was spoken in a low growl but Kaiba's anger was certainly understandable. It must be infuriating to know that the information for his holograms had been provided by the same man who had assisted Kaiba Corps' board of directors in their attempt at taking control of the company.

"I see. That makes sense. Pegasus had the Millennium Eye and he knew that the Shadow Monsters were real. It's not just the drawings on the cards that are right. The attack and defense strengths are too. He must have used the Eye in some way to 'see' them, so he knew all about them. But that doesn't explain…" Yugi trailed off, considering the possibilities.

"Two minutes." Kaiba's irritated voice cut into Yugi's thoughts. "If you have a point to make, I suggest you be quick about it."

Yugi blinked and then grinned sheepishly. "Oh! Right! Sorry, Kaiba, I was trying to figure out why Pegasus would have given you the wrong information about one of the Shadow Monsters."

Kaiba frowned. "What are you talking about? I told you, all of the holograms are accurate."

"I know of at least one that isn't." Yugi met Kaiba's gaze without hesitation.

The young CEO studied his rival for a moment before nodding abruptly. "You have my attention."

For the second time, Kaiba turned and started walking. This time though, Yugi knew that he was expected to follow. As he caught up to the taller boy, Kaiba glanced at him. "I take it this has something to do with your ridiculous request to see one of the holograms outside of a duel situation?" At Yugi's nod, he sighed.

"Give me one good reason why."

"Téa used a Fire Sorcerer card in her duel against one of the Big Five. Yami and I met the real Fire Sorcerer in the Shadow Realm last night. The thing is, Téa's description doesn't match what Yami and I saw. We're trying to work out why."

Kaiba snorted. "I said a good reason. Téa probably didn't remember the correct details. It has been a while since that… incident… after all."

Yugi shook his head, grinning. "Oh no, she remembered the details just fine. She was very sure about every single one of them." His smile faded. "But I'm just as sure about what I saw last night."

"Fine." Kaiba pushed open a door, sighing as he gave Yugi an annoyed look. "One look and then that's the last I want to hear of this. Agreed?"

Yugi's bright smile lit up his face as he nodded. "Agreed! Thank you, Kaiba!"

Kaiba grimaced. "I don't know why I'm doing this…" He and Yugi entered one of the dueling rooms.

A few minutes later, a hologram flickered to life on the playing field. On the sidelines, Yugi leaned forward to study the small figure intently. Beside him, Kaiba shifted impatiently. "There, you've seen it. Happy now?" He glared down at the smaller boy. "I told you it was accurate!"

Yugi slowly shook his head. "No Kaiba, it isn't." He didn't take his eyes off the field, where the image of a small girl in a black dress with white stockings, black shoes and a black witch's hat stood.

To be continued…


	10. The Mystery Deepens

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed this story! I love receiving reviews. Knowing that others are enjoying my stories is what writing is all about, for me.

****

The Shadow Library  
Chapter 10: The Mystery Deepens  
By Shadow's Mirror

"What do you mean, it's not accurate?" Kaiba glared at Yugi, obviously not happy at what the smaller teen had just said. His expression darkened as the air beside the boy began to shimmer and a familiar form took shape. When Yami appeared in his physical form at Yugi's side, he was met with a fierce glare and a low growl. "Who invited you?"

Yami ignored the question, his attention focused on the source of his light's shock. He studied the hologram for a moment before speaking. "She matches the description that Téa gave us. That is the Fire Sorcerer who aided Téa in her battle." Yami turned his head, addressing his next comment to Kaiba. "She is not, however, the one Yugi and I saw in the Shadow Realm last night."

Kaiba shot a startled glance at Yami. A moment later, his usual calm mask was back in place. "If this is some sort of joke, I do not find it amusing."

Yami's eyes were inscrutable as his gaze locked with Kaiba. "I assure you, Kaiba, this is no joke. This is a mystery, and one which I intend to solve."

"Some minor difference between a hologram and the real thing and it's bothering you that much?" The words were spoken without thinking, judging from the way Kaiba winced after saying them.

The slightest of smiles touched Yami's lips. "Kaiba… I would hardly call a change in gender to be a 'minor difference'." His smile widened at the shock that Kaiba wasn't quite able to hide.

"What? Are you trying to tell me that Fire Sorcerer is supposed to be a… boy?" Kaiba shook his head, the shock in his eyes fading. Apparently his usual reason and logic were reasserting themselves. "How can you be so sure? A few alterations to the appearance, I suppose I would be willing to concede as being possible. But what you're suggesting… I think even Pegasus would have noticed something so obvious."

Yami nodded. "I agree. Which makes me suspect that this may not have been a mistake."

Kaiba frowned. "You mean, Pegasus deliberately gave me the wrong information? But why do that for only one monster?" He tensed, alarm flashing through his eyes. "Unless…"

Yami's eyes narrowed as he considered the possibilities. "Indeed. There is no telling how many of the holograms are inaccurate."

Yugi looked from his darker half to Kaiba, and sighed. Kaiba's hands were clenched into fists and he was obviously not happy at the thought that his holograms might not be as accurate as he'd believed them to be. As for Yami… he was enjoying seeing Kaiba upset far more than he should have been! It was time to try and calm things down. "But as far as we know, there's only the one. I agree, it does seem like Pegasus did this on purpose. But maybe he had a reason for it."

Kaiba glared at him. "Oh, he had a reason all right. To make me look like a fool!"

Yami smirked. "He need not have gone to so much trouble then. You usually manage that all by yourself."

As Kaiba turned his furious glare onto Yami, Yugi shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant, Kaiba. Look at what we know about him. We learned why Pegasus did what he did during Duelist Kingdom. He had a reason for it all. We also know that when he realised how powerful the God Cards were, he gave them up so they could be put somewhere safe. He did some terrible things, but he wasn't insane or foolish and, when Yami and I dueled him, it was clear how much he respected, even loved, the cards he had brought into this world. He was like… like…" Yugi struggled to find the right words.

Yami placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, smiling gently at his light. "He was like a proud father showing off his children. Yes, that was the impression I had of him also."

Yugi nodded up at his darker half, then turned back to Kaiba. "That's why I don't think he would have given you the wrong information about any of the Shadow Monsters. Not on a whim, anyway. There must be another reason. Maybe it wasn't deliberate. Maybe he just got one wrong."

Kaiba frowned, but at least he was no longer glaring. "My request for the information was an unusual one. I expected to meet with resistance but… he surprised me. Although we were business rivals, he was… highly enthusiastic… about the project and gave me far more assistance and information than I had hoped for." He relaxed slightly. "For once, I must agree with both of you. His attitude towards the cards was the reason why I trusted him to give me accurate information about them in the first place. He was proud of them. He wanted to show them off to the world. At one point, he even said as much."

Yugi smiled brightly. "See? It must have been an accident! Or… Hey!" His eyes lit up. "Maybe there are two Fire Sorcerers! You know, like there are two Mystical Sheep!"

Yami looked thoughtful, but also doubtful. "Perhaps. There are several cards like that."

"Impossible." Kaiba shook his head, but he didn't glare. In fact, he now seemed to be back to his usual cool and logical self. "If there is, it would have come up on the screen when I…"

Yugi and Yami looked curiously at Kaiba. It wasn't like him to just trail off in mid-sentence. It also wasn't like him to appear somewhat dazed. "Kaiba? Are you okay?" Yugi's tentative question went unanswered as Kaiba suddenly started typing rapidly into the control panel.

"What is it, Kaiba?" Yami watched his rival intently. "What have you thought of?"

"It may be nothing." For once, the teen wasn't smug or sneering in his response. "But there is one possibility. What Yugi said… It reminded me of something."

"Huh? Me? What did I say?" Yugi blinked in confusion.

"The duel we had on the roof of Pegasus's castle… Some time after that, I ran a simulation of it through my computer. I noticed something odd. It took me a while to work out what had happened, but in the end… Here, see for yourselves." He hit one last key and two holograms appeared on the field.

Yami frowned. "Two Dark Magicians." His frown deepened as he took in their appearances. One of them was the familiar Monster he summoned in almost every duel. But the other… The differences were only slight changes in colour, but the two holograms were definitely not identical. "Wait. I have seen this before."

Yugi nodded. "During Battle City, when we dueled against Arcana. It was the only time we've ever faced another duelist using the Dark Magician. Oh! I get it!" He turned to Kaiba, grinning. "You programmed two versions of each Monster! So if both duelists were using the same one, they'd appear different on the field!"

"No. I didn't." Kaiba's flat response made Yugi's smile fade into confusion.

Yami scowled. "Explain, Kaiba." His commanding tone earned him a glare from the other boy.

"When I ran the simulation of our duel on the castle roof, I noticed that the appearance of the Dark Magician was not as I remembered it from the actual battle. I did some checking. It turned out, Pegasus had given me more than one set of images for that particular Monster. One set is used for every duel." He pointed to the hologram of the Dark Magician that the duelist Arcana had called upon. "The second set only comes into play when either of you two summon your Dark Magician to the field."

As Yugi and Yami stared at him in shock, Kaiba frowned slightly. "I still don't know why. But it's true. Your summoning activates an entirely different set of images in my duel disk system. In order to get that version of the Dark Magician in a simulation, I have to reroute the system through the data gathered from your duel disk during your Battle City duels. Otherwise, I get the other version."

Yami's mind raced at the new, and unexpected, information. "Could that be why…?"

"I'm checking it now," Kaiba cut in. He looked down at the monitor and frowned as he started keying in some commands. A few moments later, his whole body tensed as he gasped. "No! I don't believe it!"

"What is it?"

Yami's voice snapped Kaiba out of his daze, although he was still rather distracted when he replied. "According to this, the Dark Magician isn't the only Duel Monster with more than one set of images."

"How many are there?" Yami frowned slightly, concerned by Kaiba's reaction. For the cool-headed boy to be so shaken, something was definitely wrong.

"Ten." Kaiba almost growled out the word. "And before you ask, yes, Fire Sorcerer is one of them."

Yugi breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that explains it, then! Mystery solved!" He grinned up at his darker half, but Yami's attention was still focused on Kaiba.

"There is something else, isn't there?"

Kaiba looked up, his sapphire eyes flashing with fury as he glared at his adversary. "You would know. According to the computer log, I've accessed this information before. When I found out about the Dark Magician, apparently I also found out about these other cards. Except… I have no memory of doing so. It seems that someone has been playing with my mind. As if I didn't know who! What is this Yami? One of your twisted little mind games?"

To be continued…


	11. Accusations

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: About the spelling of Yugi's surname... I'm using the spelling from the official English version of the Manga, in case anyone's wondering.

**The Shadow Library  
Chapter 11: Accusations**  
By Shadow's Mirror

For several moments following Kaiba's heated question, there was silence. At first, Yami was too surprised to respond, but then he was too incensed to manage more than an incoherent splutter. Finally though, he managed to voice his indignation. The low intensity of his tone and the glare in his eyes left no doubt as to the depth of his fury. "Kaiba! What are you saying? Are you accusing me of manipulating your mind? Do you honestly believe that I would do something like that?"

Kaiba matched Yami glare for glare. "I know you're capable of it."

Yami leaned forward slightly. "Of course, but I would never…!" He halted in mid-denial, a startled look flashing across his face as he sensed the emotions coming through his link with his other half. He glanced at Yugi, a look remarkably like fear filling his eyes. "Yugi… You… You doubt me?"

Yugi's head had bowed but now it jerked up. He gasped, his wide eyes locking with his yami's gaze. "No! Of course not!" His hand reached out, grasping Yami's in comfort. "I know you'd never do anything like that to Kaiba!"

Yami relaxed slightly, gently squeezing his light's hand in silent gratitude. "Then… what I felt through our link…?"

Yugi's expression shifted, becoming just slightly shadowed. "It's just that… This reminded me of… the other times."

Yami closed his eyes, regret flooding through him. Before he could reply though, Kaiba interrupted.

"As touching as this is, I still want answers."

"Which I do not have!" Yami turned to face the other boy again. He drew himself up, standing tall and proud. In that moment, he looked every inch the powerful Pharaoh he had once been.

"I use my powers only when absolutely necessary, for the protection of my light, the safety of the world or to punish those who have incurred my wrath by threatening the same. As annoying as you are Kaiba, you have earned that punishment only once, and you are fully aware of that occasion. As for this… It was not my doing. Believe me or not, as you choose. But remember, I am not the only one capable of manipulating minds." His eyes flashed as he scowled. "I can think of two others, and I would put something like this past neither of them!"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed as he considered that possibility. "No matter what it takes, I will get to the bottom of this. If I find out that you have lied to me…" He left the threat hanging.

- - -

The door to the Mutou's living-room opened and a very irritated white-haired boy strode into the room. "This had better be good. We were in the middle of something important!" Stopping just inside the door, he crossed his arms and glared around the room at everyone.

Yami looked up from the conversation he'd been having with Joey and raised an eyebrow. "Something important? Why Bakura, were you trying to come up with yet another scheme to gain control of all the Millennium Items and use them to take over the world?" He smirked.

Bakura turned his glare onto Yami exclusively. "No! For your information, Ryou was about to teach me to make cookies!"

Joey's snicker broke the stunned silence that followed that announcement. That set off a round of chuckles, including some loud guffaws courtesy of Tristan and Duke.

Bakura's eyes blazed and his hand moved up to grasp the ornate golden ring hanging around his neck. Before he could begin sending souls to the Shadow Realm for all eternity though, Yugi leaned to one side and smiled apologetically at the boy standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, Ryou. I didn't mean to interfere with your plans for today."

"That's all right, Yugi. We can do it this evening instead." Bakura relaxed at his light's quiet voice. Or perhaps it was the gentle touch of Ryou's hand on his shoulder that calmed the dark one's temper.

Ryou moved from the doorway, coming to stand beside his yami. He looked at Yugi, his eyes bright with curiosity. "What's going on, Yugi? You said on the phone that you had something to discuss with all of us."

Yugi smiled sheepishly, a faint hint of colour darkening his cheeks. "Actually, Kaiba's the one who wanted to talk to everyone. But we didn't think you would all agree to come if he called you." Kaiba snorted at that and looked annoyed but Joey nodded.

"Too right! So what's so urgent that his High and Mighty-ness asked you to get us here for him? And by the way, I hope you're making him pay dearly for this favour, Yug." Joey smirked, the colour in Yugi's cheeks darkened and Kaiba glared at his secondary source of annoyance. His primary source, of course, being Yami.

"Listen Mutt, you should be grateful that I decided to include you in this! If it wasn't for the fact that your sense of humour is juvenile enough to do something like this, I wouldn't have bothered!"

Joey blinked as he tried to follow that bewildering statement. "I know that was an insult, but other than that… I have no idea what you're talkin' about. You wanna try that again? Maybe with a bit more detail like, say, what's goin' on?"

His ice blue eyes gleaming with barely suppressed fury, Kaiba opened his mouth to reply. Yami beat him to it. "We have a mystery on our hands, Joey. More than one, in fact, although they appear to be related."

He looked around the room. Besides Yugi, Kaiba and himself, Joey, Tristan, Duke, Téa, Bakura, Ryou, Malik, Marik, Isis and Odion were also present. "Now that we are all here…" He glanced over at Kaiba as though daring him to interrupt, then looked away again. "Allow me to explain the situation."

As soon as Bakura and Ryou had made themselves comfortable, Yami began.

"Last night Yugi and I made a discovery. We learned that at least one of the Monsters in the Shadow Realm is not accurately represented by its holographic image in Kaiba's dueling system." Yami raised his voice slightly to be heard over Joey and Tristan's snickers. "When we went to confirm this with Kaiba this morning, however, we made another discovery. This one, considerably more disturbing." The snickering stopped.

"The card we were concerned about turned out to be one of several that, for some unknown reason, uses more than one set of images within the dueling system. The information and images were provided by Pegasus, and Kaiba was unaware that this situation existed. That is the disturbing part."

"What? That Kaiba let Pegasus put stuff into his computer system that he didn't know about? Yeah, that's disturbing all right. I didn't think he was that big an idiot. But what's it got to do with us?" Joey couldn't resist a sideways glance and smirk at Kaiba. The brunette promptly responded with an icy glare.

"No, you idiot! What Yami means is that I should not have been unaware of it! I found out about the alternate images not long after Duelist Kingdom. But it took something Yugi said today to remind me about it. When I looked it up on the computer, I learned about the other cards. I didn't know about them. But, according to the computer, I accessed the same information the first time I looked it up! So what I want to know is…" He turned his glare onto everyone in the room one at a time. "Which one of you is responsible for erasing my memories of that original discovery?"

Joey jumped to his feet and whirled to face the angry brunette. "What?! How can you possibly blame us for your bad memory? Even for you, Kaiba, that's ridiculous!"

Kaiba surged to his feet, his fury resulting in a loss of his usual unruffled demeanour. "This wasn't just me forgetting something, Wheeler! As soon as I found out, it all came rushing back to me. I remembered learning about the other images. I also remembered the bright flash of light that caused me to forget about them! There's only one possible explanation for this. Someone has been toying with me. I demand to know who!"

Joey glared back at Kaiba. "Think about it, Kaiba! Why would any of us wanna do something like that? And even if we did have a reason, how could we have done it? Not all of us can use magic, and those of us who can wouldn't use it for that sort of thing! We didn't do it. You may call me a dog, but this time you're the one barking up the wrong tree! Right guys?" He looked around at the others.

Everyone nodded in response. Everyone… except Bakura, Marik and Isis.

To be continued…


	12. Guilty Silences

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE 1: I'd just like to say a really big 'Thank you!' to everyone who's reviewed so far! I love hearing your views on what's happening and why.

****

The Shadow Library  
Chapter 12: Guilty Silences  
By Shadow's Mirror

For a moment, no one spoke as all eyes looked from Marik to Bakura to Isis and back again. Most of those present were shocked at the thought that the three could have had anything to do with Kaiba's erased memory. But their silence in the face of Kaiba's accusation did seem to indicate that they had guilty consciences.

Kaiba wasn't shocked. At least, not about Marik and Bakura. They had been his main suspects, after all. He glared at both of them furiously. But when he turned his glare onto Isis, it became tinged with confusion. He hadn't expected her to be involved. Marik, most definitely. Malik, most likely. But not Isis. What made him even more uncertain was the fact that she returned his glare with her usual calm gaze. He started to speak, but Malik's startled voice beat him into breaking the silence.

"Marik! You didn't! I can't believe it! How could you?" The boy jumped out of his seat and glared down at his yami, his hands on his hips and his expression one of outrage. "Honestly Marik! How could you do something like that to Kaiba…" Malik poked his darker half in the chest, "… and not even tell me about it afterwards!"

The wild-haired yami blinked up at his counterpart. "What do you mean, my light? I didn't do anything to Kaiba." He looked around, apparently noticing the looks he was getting for the first time. "Why is everyone staring at me?"

It was Malik's turn to blink. "Marik… didn't you erase Kaiba's memory about the cards?"

Marik shook his head immediately. "No. I can't do that. I can control people's minds, and I can make them think the way I want them to think, but I can't erase their memories. The Rod doesn't have that kind of power."

Joey groaned. "So how come you didn't say anything then?" At Marik's look of confusion, he elaborated. "When Kaiba accused us all, most of us," he glanced at Bakura and Isis, "spoke up in our defense. How come you didn't?"

Marik blinked at him. "Oh. Was I supposed to?"

Duke and Tristan's snickers interrupted the stunned silence. "Um, Kaiba, I think we can rule Marik out on this one," Duke offered, in between bouts of laughter.

Kaiba sighed. "I'm inclined to agree," he muttered, shooting the yami in question an irritated look.

"Well you can rule Bakura out too! He did **not** do it." Everyone turned to look at Ryou in surprise. Most of them had never heard him sound so determined before. Or so annoyed.

"Ryou…" Joey trailed off, shifting uncomfortably as his attempt to soothe his friend's ruffled temper was met with an impatient shake of the normally mild-mannered light's head.

"I am sorry, Joey. But I just know that Bakura did not do this." Ryou turned to Kaiba, meeting the mildly surprised sapphire gaze without flinching. "You said this happened not long after the end of Duelist Kingdom, correct?"

Kaiba nodded slowly. "Yes. About a month after."

Ryou lowered his head, staring at the floor. "After Duelist Kingdom, Bakura kept to his soul room for several months. He was making plans to steal the Millennium Puzzle and to locate the remaining Millennium Items. He did not take over my body during that time. It was too risky for him. If Yami had learned of his return from the Shadow Realm… Bakura knew he would lose any advantage he had. He was hoping to catch Yami off-guard."

Ryou raised his head again, his cheeks flushed at the admission of his yami's wicked scheming. "I may not have known what Bakura did when he took over my body, back then, but I always knew **when** he took control. There was always a blank space in my memory afterwards. It is true that the Millennium Ring possesses the power to erase memory. However, Bakura could not have used it on you without being there, Seto. I know he was not. Therefore, he could not have done this."

For a long moment, Seto Kaiba thoughtfully studied Ryou's determined expression. The certainty in the boy's chocolate eyes left no doubt as to his feelings on the matter. He knew his yami was innocent. Kaiba sighed and nodded curtly. "Very well."

Everyone except Ryou blinked. Joey almost fell off the arm of the couch, where he was perched. He stared at Kaiba in shock. "What the… You mean you're just gonna take his word for it? Just like that? No questions asked? Man Kaiba… that ain't like you! What happened to your usual paranoia?"

Kaiba glared at Joey. "I happen to believe him. I know he isn't stupid enough to lie to me."

Ryou smiled faintly. "Thank you... I think."

Joey shook his head and glanced at Ryou. "I'm sorry, Ryou. It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that… I don't trust Bakura. I mean, maybe he did his body-snatching routine while you were asleep or something, so you wouldn't have noticed. I'm not saying he did what Kaiba reckons someone did, but…"

Joey turned his attention to Bakura, directing the rest of his words to him. "You've been awful quiet over there. It's not like you to let Ryou do the talking. I figure that means you know something about all this." Joey wasn't the only one looking at Bakura now. All eyes were on him.

"Yes and no." Bakura shrugged. Oddly enough, he didn't seem at all angry at Joey's veiled insults. "I did not say anything because I was thinking it over. For the record, Ryou is right. I had nothing to do with it. Also for the record," now a flash of annoyance flickered in his eyes as he glared at Joey, "I did not take over his body at all after Duelist Kingdom for at least three months." Ryou smiled slightly.

Joey settled back in his seat. "Okay. So if you didn't do it, what were you thinking about?"

Bakura leaned forward, his expression changing from mildly annoyed to more serious than anyone had seen him when he hadn't been dueling or sending someone to the Shadow Realm. "I know all of the items. I tried to steal them millennia ago. I did my research first. I know what each one is capable of doing. They can all affect minds and souls to varying levels, but the Millennium Ring is the only one capable of erasing memory. And it does not work in quite the way you described," he added, looking at Kaiba. "There is a flash of light, sometimes. But once the memories are gone, that's it. There might be some lingering traces, but they cannot just return if something happens to remind you of them."

Yami spoke up before Kaiba could respond. "Bakura, how can you be so certain that none of the other Millennium Items are capable of such a thing? Not even I know the full extent of the Puzzle's powers."

For once, Bakura didn't sneer at a question from the mighty Pharaoh. "The Millennium Items can all do a lot of things, but each one has only one or two specialties. I don't know everything that every Item can do. But I do know the main powers of all seven. I also know what it takes to erase a memory. We're taking power. A lot of it. Kaiba's memory loss… If it was caused by a Millennium Item, then the Ring is the only one with the power to do it."

Kaiba scowled at him. "Do you seriously expect me to believe that it wasn't one of these infernal things that stole my memory? What else could it have been? It's hardly the first time they've caused trouble."

He turned his attention onto the other one who had remained silent during the earlier protestations of innocence. "How about you? I suppose you're going to say that you know nothing about this either!" If looks could burn, his sapphire glare would have set the entire game store on fire.

Isis looked Kaiba directly in the eyes and silently shook her head. "No, I cannot say that. For it is not true."

"Sister!" Malik stared at her in shock. "You don't mean you… How? Why? I can't believe it. I can't believe you didn't tell me! All this time and you never said a word!" He pouted at his older sister as he moved to stand in front of her. "And what about all those lectures you gave me and Marik about being good and behaving ourselves? We thought you meant them! And all the time you'd done something like this!" Malik continued to frown and pout at her as his yami joined him.

"We're so proud of you!" Marik grinned happily as he suddenly moved forward, perching on the arm of Isis's armchair as he hugged her enthusiastically.

Kaiba cleared his throat, his sapphire glare promising severe retribution to anyone who dared to annoy him at that particular point in time. Marik ignored him and continued to hug Isis happily. Isis patted his arm. "Marik. Stop now." The yami obeyed, looking confused.

"Sister Isis?" Marik frowned as he studied her. Then he sighed. "Aww… You didn't do it."

"Huh?" Malik bent down and stared into his sister's face. He sighed too as he straightened up again. "Yeah. You're right. She didn't. She doesn't have that guilty look she gets whenever she does something wrong." Malik looked around at the others and shrugged. "She doesn't get it often, but I have seen it. Like the time she ate the last chocolate chip cookie."

Marik pouted and nodded. "That cookie was supposed to be mine."

Isis gently patted his hand. "I did get some more cookies that afternoon, remember?"

Marik smiled slightly. "Oh. Yeah. You did. They were good too!"

Kaiba cleared his throat again. "Ishtar… Explain. Now." His low growl made both Malik and Marik's attention snap to him.

"Don't speak to Sister Isis like that!" Marik jumped to his feet, glowering at the CEO just as furiously as Kaiba was glaring at Isis. The angry yami's hand began to move towards his back pocket. Isis's eyes widened slightly.

"Marik! No!" Reaching out, she caught Marik's hand and tugged it. "Please, Marik. Sit down. Kaiba meant no insult."

"Yeah. He's just being his usual rude and arrogant self." Joey shot an irritated look at Kaiba. They all knew better than to insult Isis. Especially when her brother and his not-quite-sane yami were around.

Marik reluctantly sat down on the arm of the chair again, although he kept his narrowed eyes locked on Kaiba.

Kaiba nodded slightly at Isis. Apparently he realised that she had probably just saved his soul from an impromptu trip to the Shadow Realm. "I meant no insult," he agreed quietly. His gaze locked with hers. "All I want is a straight answer."

Isis nodded back. "At the time in question, I was in Egypt. However, I believe I saw the moment of the… attack on you."

"One of your visions, Isis?" Yugi asked quietly. Isis nodded, smiling at him.

"Yes. Although, I do not believe it was a premonition. It felt as though I were watching it as it occurred." Isis looked around at the group. "I saw a young man leaning over a computer terminal. Of course, at the time, I did not know who he was. He made an exclamation of great annoyance and then there was a flash of light. When the light faded, I noticed that the young man no longer looked annoyed, merely a little confused. Then the vision ended." She turned to Kaiba. "So, although I was not directly involved in what happened, I cannot say that I knew nothing of it."

Kaiba sighed and closed his eyes, his hand rising to pinch the bridge of his nose, as though he had a headache. "Sometimes, it is possible to take things too literally," he muttered, not quite loudly enough for her brother and his overprotective yami to hear.

Joey frowned. "So… that leaves us back where we started, right? Except, if it wasn't a Millennium Item, what else could have done something like this?" A murmur of agreement filled the room.

Bakura sighed. "There is… one other possibility. You don't need an Item to be able to use Shadow Magic. You said this all started because of a card. Well, I learned something about the cards too, not long ago. I have a feeling it fits in somehow. So I guess there's only thing to do."

"And what might that be?" Kaiba crossed his arms, eyeing Bakura warily.

Bakura smirked and took his deck from his pocket. He drew the top card and held it up. "We're going to ask someone who knows all about the Shadow Magic."

As he spoke, the card in his hand began to glow. The air in front of him shimmered.

To be continued…


	13. A Summons from the Shadows

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE 1: Text in **bold** is being emphasised.

AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: This is part of my special Christmas update, a thank-you gift for everyone who's reading my stories. I've updated all five of my ongoing Yu-Gi-Oh! stories and posted a one-shot Christmas fic too. Merry Christmas everyone!

****

The Shadow Library  
Chapter 13: A Summons from the Shadows  
By Shadow's Mirror

Yami and Kaiba were on their feet even before the shimmering air took on the familiar darkness that indicated the use of Shadow Magic.

"Bakura! What do you think you're doing?" Yami scowled at his ancient rival. "You know how dangerous…" A soft laugh rippled through the air, causing Yami to break off what he had been about to say.

His gaze snapped to the darkening air and he stared at it for a moment, an odd look on his face. It almost looked like confusion, but of course that was impossible. There was no way the Mighty Pharaoh would ever be confused by a simple summoning.

"Fear not, my Pharaoh. I will be on my very best behaviour. I promise." There was a hint of amusement in the soft, husky voice, as if the speaker was trying not to laugh.

The darkness began to draw in on itself, slowly revealing the figure at its heart. When it faded completely, a young woman stood surveying the group with mischievously twinkling brown eyes.

Her ears were long and pointed and her blue-black hair fell to just below her shoulders, held off her face by a greeny-blue circlet with a green stone winking in the centre of her forehead. She was clothed in a short gold dress with a blue sash, as well as ankle-boots and elbow-length gloves that were so dark blue they appeared to be black. She also wore what appeared to be a feathered cloak, grey at her shoulders and black at the lower edge.

Everyone there knew her immediately. Just as they knew the 'cloak' was really her wings, neatly folded around her.

Bakura had summoned Dark Witch.

The friendly Shadow Monster looked around. "Greetings, everyone." She smiled as she turned and spotted Ryou and Bakura. "Greetings, my sweet masters."

Bakura winced at the description of himself as 'sweet'. A snicker came from the direction of Duke and Tristan, earning both boys an irritated glare from the hot-tempered yami before he turned his attention back to Dark Witch. "I have a question for you."

Dark Witch arched an eyebrow and smirked. "One of these days, you will summon me to battle and I will faint from the shock." She ignored Bakura's glare and smiled sweetly at Ryou instead, leaning over to ruffle his hair gently. "Hello, dear. How are you?"

Ryou gifted her with one of his brightest smiles. "I'm good, but I'll be better if you can solve a little mystery for us."

Dark Witch beamed at Ryou and perched herself on the arm of the couch beside him, ruffling his hair again as she settled down. "I will do my best."

She turned to smile serenely at Bakura, as if she had not been ignoring him for the past few moments. "I believe you have a question for me?"

Bakura scowled at her. "Yes. I want to know what the connection is between the special Duel Monster cards, the two sets of images Pegasus gave Kaiba for some of the cards in his duel disk system and whatever it was that altered Kaiba's memory of finding out about it." He spoke with deliberate casualness, but his eyes gleamed as he watched her reaction closely.

Dark Witch blinked at him, then turned to Ryou. "Translation?" She gestured towards Bakura, who was now glaring furiously at her. "I have no idea what he is talking about."

"This is a waste of time! How could a Shadow Monster possibly know about something that happened in our world?" Kaiba was practically growling as he locked gazes with Bakura. It was impossible to tell whose furious eyes were blazing the brightest.

Dark Witch frowned at Kaiba. "Oh, now that was uncalled for! As it happens, we know quite a lot about what goes on in this world. That does not, however, mean that I know every single little detail!" With that, Bakura found himself the recipient of a very annoyed look. It lasted only a moment before Dark Witch turned to smile very gently at Ryou. "Can you elaborate please, dear?"

- - -

By the time Ryou, with help from Yugi and interruptions from everyone else except Isis, had finished explaining the situation, Dark Witch was looking very serious. There was also the slightest hint of something bearing a striking resemblance to nervousness in her eyes.

"Thank you. I understand the situation now. Which means…" She turned and nodded at Bakura. "I can answer your question, Bakura."

"Well it's about time." Bakura scowled at her.

Dark Witch looked around, as though making sure that everyone was listening. It was unnecessary. Everyone's attention was focused intently on her. She cleared her throat and then began to explain what had happened to Kaiba, and why, as well as the connection between the holographic images in the duel disk system, the Duel Monster cards and the Monsters of the Shadow Realm.

And a little girl by the name of Morgan.

To be continued…


	14. The Explanation

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a companion story for this fic, called 'A Life for a Life'. When they are finished, both stories will be complete in their own right. You do not need to read one to enjoy the other. 'Life' merely gives more meaning to certain things that happen in this story.

**The Shadow Library  
Chapter 14: The Explanation**  
By Shadow's Mirror

After a moment's consideration, Dark Witch directed her explanation at Bakura, since he had been the one to ask her the question.

"When Master Pegasus first created the cards which you use to summon us Shadow Monsters in duels, he used the Millennium Eye to ensure that the image and details on each one was accurate. He was determined that they would be as close as possible. With every one, he made a test card. He could tell at a touch if his portrayal of that Monster was accurate or not. If it was not, then it was merely a card, with no link to the heart of the Shadow Monster the card represented. When that occurred, he merely tried again. But... every now and then, something strange happened.

He would sometimes touch a test card and he would know that it was not right, even though there was a link to the Shadow Monster's heart. There was always a... reluctance, I suppose. As if the one the card summoned did not wish to obey him. But there was something more. The other cards were just ordinary cards. Only in the hands of one with skill in the Shadow Magic, were they anything more. But these strange cards were special. They held magic of their own. Whoever held them could use that magic to summon the Monster on the card into this world."

Dark Witch paused as everyone in the room gasped. She looked around at the circle of shocked faces and nodded, her expression grim. "Yes. As you can imagine, such cards would have been very dangerous in the wrong hands. Fortunately, Master Pegasus discovered it when his assistant accidentally summoned the Dark Magician into his office. The Dark Magician studied the cards and realised what had happened, right away."

She paused again, this time taking a deep breath before again looking around the room. "Most of the creatures of the Shadow Realm have been there for as long as the Shadow Magic has existed. They have always been a part of it and it has always been a part of them. Most of them are unique. There are no others like them, in the Realm or in this world. But there are exceptions."

Another pause, another deep breath. It was obvious to everyone that she was trying to explain something that was difficult to put into words. The whole room was silent as they waited for her to continue. Even Marik remained perfectly still, sensing how important this was.

"There are a few among us who once lived in your world. One way or another, for one reason or another, they became Shadow Monsters. But they are not unique. Each of them bears the same name as another Monster. They have a similar appearance to them also, although there is always some difference. The Dark Magician is one of them. When he was summoned by Master Pegasus's assistant, he touched the card he had been summoned with and realised that it was connected to him specifically. Each of the special cards is the same. Each of them connects with one of those who walk the Shadow Realm with the memories of other lives and times."

For a moment, the room was silent and still. Then it was as if everyone present took a breath all at once and began to whisper to each other about this revelation. After a moment of glaring, Kaiba finally couldn't take it any longer. "Quiet! You may not wish to hear the rest, but I do!"

As everyone sheepishly fell silent again, Dark Witch smiled at Kaiba. "Thank you, Master Seto." She looked around at everyone and nodded. "As most of you have probably realised, Master Pegasus ended up creating a card to represent every Shadow Monster in the Realm. Most of those cards are normal and summon the unique monsters, or the original monsters, in the case of those who have doubles. But the cards that represent those doubles are special and have the power to summon them into this world."

Kaiba frowned. "So when I requested the images and information from Pegasus..."

Dark Witch looked over at him and nodded. "Yes. Master Pegasus could not bear the thought of any of the Shadow Monsters being inaccurately represented. However, he had made a vow to the Dark Magician on the day they learned of the special cards' powers. He had promised that he would not reveal their existence. So, when he sent you the information, he included the images for the Monsters summoned by the special cards, but he did not tell you about them."

"That explains the different images for some of the Monsters," Kaiba's frown deepened into a glare as he eyed Dark Witch. "However, it does not explain what happened to my memory when I initially discovered those images."

Everyone stared in surprise as a tide of red flooded Dark Witch's cheeks. "Ah. Yes. I fear that... was my doing."

"Yours? Explain yourself. Now!"

The female Shadow Monster winced at Kaiba's furious tone. "When the special cards' powers were discovered, it was decided that a spell would be cast to prevent people from finding out about them, accidentally. It is a simple misdirection spell. Anyone who becomes suspicious about the cards will forget their suspicions and think of something else instead. When you were given the images and information on the special cards, a slightly stronger version of the spell was cast upon your computer system, so that anyone who learned of the second set of images would forget about them again."

Kaiba nodded once, although his frown did not ease. "So what was your part in it?"

Dark Witch sighed softly. "When the spell was cast on your computer, it was my suggestion that it should be made a little stronger than normal, to counter the effect of the mix of science and magic."

"The effect of what?" No one shushed Marik. They were all wondering the same thing.

A slight smile flickered over the Shadow Monster's face as she turned to the others. "Normally, science and magic do not mix well. Magic tends to be weaker when it is cast on technology. In this case, however... it seems that it did not weaken, but the effect was altered slightly, instead."

She returned her attention to Kaiba. "You, and the others present at this moment, are supposed to be immune to the spell. However, instead of not affecting you at all, the spell worked on you the first time, but the second time, it restored the memories it had initially locked away. With anyone else, the spell works the same way each time."

Kaiba's frown relaxed a little as he nodded. "I see. So that is why my memory was taken, and why it returned again." Apparently all of his questions had been answered, since he fell silent, but there was someone else in the room whose curiosity got the better of him.

"Uh... Dark Witch?"

The Monster turned to Joey and smiled sweetly at him. "Yes, Master Joey?"

"What happened to the special cards? I mean... How come Pegasus didn't keep them? We know Yug has the Dark Magician's card, but that means there are others with the other cards, right?"

Joey looked worried and he wasn't the only one. All the others wore expressions ranging from wary to uneasy to nervous. Even Kaiba looked slightly apprehensive.

Dark Witch nodded. "Yes, that is true. Initially, Pegasus kept the special cards himself. However, one by one, the cards disappeared. It seems that each of them was destined to be paired with a duellist. We can only assume that they are in the keeping of those who hold them for a reason."

Bakura spoke up very quietly. "But you know who holds them, don't you?" His dark brown eyes locked with Dark Witch's as she turned to look at him in surprise.

"Yes and no, sweet Master." The female Monster smiled slightly. "We know a few of them. But the others have never been summoned into battle. They remain without knowledge of who holds their cards."

"Yugi holds the Dark Magician. We know that much." Kaiba almost growled the words. He was obviously not happy about it.

"He also holds the Dark Magician Girl." Dark Witch smiled sweetly at the startled boy, ignoring Kaiba's furious glare. "They are the two that are called the most. Aside from them, there is only one other that has ever been called into battle."

Bakura smiled slightly. "Fire Sorcerer."

As Dark Witch nodded, everyone blinked and stared at Bakura. Yami raised an eyebrow. "Bakura? How did you know that?"

The white-haired yami shrugged. "I saw him being summoned. Remember last Christmas when I helped that little girl in Mokuba's class get her favourite card back from her bully of a brother?"

Everyone blinked. Yami stared at Bakura. "Surely you are not saying... That little girl?"

Dark Witch nodded. "Yes. Fire Sorcerer's card is indeed held by a child. Her name is Morgan."

The mutters and whispers began again, but Ryou's soft voice was still heard. "Dark Witch, if this is supposed to be a secret then... Is it truly all right for all of us to know this?" By the time he had finished speaking, the room was silent. It seemed like everyone was holding their breath as they waited for the Shadow Monster's reply.

She smiled gently at the white-haired light. "Yes, my sweet Master. It is only a secret because of the cards' power to summon the Monsters they represent. Everyone here is aware of the Shadow Realm and its Magic already. So if one of you were to find such a card, and learn of its power, you would not panic or misuse it."

"Most of us would not, no." Yami eyed Bakura meaningfully, causing the white-haired yami to bristle. Before he could give voice to the anger blazing in his eyes though, Dark Witch laughed, drawing everyone's startled attention.

She winked at Yami. "Ah! But my sweet Master Bakura has no need of special cards for that, Master Yami. He can already do it using any card he holds, just as you and Master Marik can."

"So there." Bakura smirked, causing Yami to scowl at him as Ryou sighed and shook his head.

"Yes, and it's really fun too!" Marik's happy exclamation interrupted the other two yami's before they could get into an argument. They, as well as everyone else in the room, shot wary looks at the wild-haired boy. Seeing him pull out his deck, more than one of the others began to nervously edge away from him.

Isis sighed the sigh of the long-suffering-older-almost-sister and gave Marik a stern look. "Marik, what have I told you about summoning Monsters?"

Marik blinked, then sighed before replying, his voice taking on the tone of one who is repeating something he's been told so many times he knows it off by heart. "I'm not to do it unless I'm duelling, and I'm to do it the normal way and not with magic." He pouted at Isis but put his deck away again, sighing heavily.

As everyone relaxed after that close call, Dark Witch looked around. "Well, if there is nothing else anyone wishes to know, I should return to the Shadow Realm. D. Human was making muffins and I would like to have at least one while it is still nice and warm."

Bakura grinned and nodded. "I think we're done." He looked around at the group, to see if anyone disagreed. When no one did, he held up her card. "Thanks, Dark Witch. I knew you'd be able to clear that mystery up for us."

Dark Witch smiled at him. "I am pleased that I could assist you, my sweet Master. Farewell."

As soon as she had left, Kaiba stood up. "Now that has been settled, I have business to attend to."

Yugi nodded and stood as well. "I'll see you out, Kaiba."

Yami also rose. "Before you go, Kaiba... If any of those other cards should be used..."

Kaiba nodded once. "I will inform you." He strode out of the room without looking back, Yugi hurrying out after him.

Joey looked thoughtful. "For him to agree to do that, he must be worried too."

Yami nodded. "He has reason to be. As Dark Witch said, in the wrong hands, such cards could be very dangerous. At least now we know of their existence. If there is ever any trouble of that nature, we will be aware of what we are dealing with."

Joey nodded too. "Yeah." He stretched and looked around. "Well, I guess this party's over. I wonder if Grandpa has any new cards in?"

Tristan joined them in time to hear Joey's comment. He laughed and slapped his friend on the back. "Man, Joey, you have a one track mind."

Joey's response was to poke out his tongue. The two were still tossing friendly insults at each other as they headed out of the room. Duke followed, smirking in amusement at their behaviour, which earned him insults from both of them as soon as they noticed.

"Sister Isis..." Marik looked at Isis pleadingly. She sighed and also rose from her seat.

"Very well, Marik. We will pick up some muffins on the way home."

To be continued...


	15. The Special Cards

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

**The Shadow Library  
Chapter 15: The Special Cards**  
By Shadow's Mirror

Yugi sighed with relief as he finally finished writing the bibliography for his history assignment. He put his pen down on the desk, then stretched, arching his back and closing his eyes in delight at the sudden feel of freedom that came from having completed the task that had been worrying him for the past few days.

"You are finished, Yugi?" Yami's voice held both amusement and an eagerness that made Yugi grin as he turned around in his chair to look at his darker half, who was sitting on the bed.

"Yes, I'm all done! One history assignment, now complete with a list of sources that will pass even the toughest of inspections." Yugi smiled happily. "I'll hand it in to Mr Tyson tomorrow."

"That is good. Well done, Yugi." Yami smiled at him, then his eyes took on a predatory gleam that Yugi knew all too well. "Does that mean...?"

Yugi laughed and nodded as he stood up. "Yes, Yami. I can play a game with you now. We have just enough time for a couple of duels before bed."

The small boy crossed over to the bed. Looking down at the cards spread over the bed in front of Yami, Yugi arched an eyebrow. "Playing without me?"

"No." Yami shook his head and picked up two of the cards set out before him. "I was merely trying to determine how these were different to the others." He sighed and frowned slightly. "Now that I know it is there, I can sense the Shadow Magic in these cards. I cannot believe I did not notice it before."

Yugi put his hand on his yami's shoulder, sensing his darker half's annoyance with himself. "To you and I, and the others, all the cards feel like that. We can sense the connections to the monsters. When I touch the Dark Magician or the Dark Magician Girl's cards, I've always thought the power I sensed in them was as strong as it was because they were my favourite monsters. I just assumed the link was stronger with them than it was with our other cards. It's easy to say that we should have known, now that we know the truth. Before today, we didn't know it was possible for them to be special cards."

Yami smiled and covered Yugi's hand with his own. "That is true, Yugi. Thank you. As always, you have put the matter into perspective for me."

Yugi's cheeks heated, turning faintly pink. "You are welcome, Yami." He gestured to the cards and smiled. "Shall we play?"

- - -

The boys had just started dueling when they heard Grandpa coming up the stairs. "Yami!" He opened the door and peered around it, then smiled. "Ah, good, you're here."

Yami nodded as Grandpa entered the room. "Did you need me for something?"

"A messenger from Kaiba Corp. just dropped this off for you." He handed Yami an envelope.

Yami's eyes widened slightly, the only sign of his surprise. "I see. Thank you, Grandpa." He took the envelope.

"Is it something good?" The old man's eyes gleamed in anticipation.

Yami smiled slightly. "In a way. I believe this might be..." As he spoke, he opened the envelope and extracted the single sheet of paper that was inside. Glancing at it, he nodded. "Yes, it is. Kaiba has sent us a list of the Duel Monsters that have doubles."

Grandpa looked disappointed. Apparently he had been hoping for something a little more exciting. "Ah well, I'll leave you two to it then."

"Wait a minute, Grandpa!" Yugi was looking at the list over Yami's shoulder. "I have a question for you."

"Hmm? What is it, Yugi?" Grandpa smiled at his grandson.

"I recognise most of the cards on this list, but there are two I've never heard of. Guardian Angel Joan and Wingweaver. Do you know them?" Yugi and Yami both looked at Grandpa expectantly.

The old man nodded. "Yes, I do. I have copies of them in the shop, if you'd like to see them?"

Yugi bounced on the bed, grinning. "Yes please, Grandpa!"

Yami looked thoughtful. "Grandpa... Do you have copies of all the cards on this list? Yugi and I have some of them, but I would like to know how our cards stand in relation to the others."

Grandpa took the list and examined it, then smiled. "I should be able to get these together. Wait here and I'll bring them up to you."

- - -

Yugi and Yami looked at each other, then at the cards Grandpa had just given Yami. Yugi bit his lip nervously, then nodded. "Well, let's do it."

Yami nodded in response and began to set the cards out on the bed in front of them.

Although Grandpa had joked that they just wanted another Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, he had given them copies of those cards too, as well as the other cards on the list that they already had. So they didn't need to break apart their deck in order to see all ten of the cards on the list together.

When the cards were set out, in order of attack strength, Yugi and Yami both frowned at the results.

"Of the ten cards, Fire Sorcerer is the weakest. We know his card is held by that child Bakura and Mokuba know." Yami looked thoughtful.

"Morgan," Yugi helpfully supplied. He studied the cards for a moment. "The next two are identical in both attack and defense. They're even the same level. Spirit of the Books and Celtic Guardian." He picked up the Spirit of the Books card and looked at it more closely for a moment.

Yami eyed his light curiously. "What is it, Yugi?"

"This card... The Spirit of the Books that we met, the one in charge of the Royal Magical Library, weren't his robes a slightly different colour?" Yugi handed the card to his yami, who studied it intently before nodding.

"Yes, they were. So it seems that we met two of the special cards' monsters last night, not one. Fire Sorcerer and the Spirit of the Books." Yami considered that for a moment. "Fire Sorcerer seemed to be in the Spirit of the Books' care."

Yugi nodded in agreement as he put the card back into place. "Fire Sorcerer has the form of a young boy, so it makes sense that he'd have an adult Monster looking after him."

He picked up the next card. "Okay, the next strongest is... Dark Witch." He frowned slightly and looked at Yami. "That's strange. When she was talking about this, Dark Witch never mentioned having a double."

Yami nodded, his eyes narrowed. "When Bakura summoned her here, I sensed something strange. I am not entirely sure what it was. It felt as if..." His frown deepened. "As if Dark Witch and Bakura were somehow connected."

"Bakura seemed to be on pretty friendly terms with her. Maybe that's formed some sort of link between them. Like we have with the Dark Magician." Yugi smiled.

Yami considered that for a moment. "Perhaps." He did not seem convinced.

"You think Bakura might have the special Dark Witch card, don't you, Yami?" Yugi looked thoughtful as his darker half nodded in silent confirmation. "But if he did, surely he would have said something."

"Not necessarily." Yami frowned slightly. "It would be like him to keep it a secret, if he did know. He seemed to know considerably more about this matter than he should have."

"Mmm... Yes, he did, didn't he?" Yugi looked thoughtfully at the other cards spread out in front of them. Talking about Bakura had reminded him of something. "Yami... if you and I have two of the special cards, then perhaps Bakura and Ryou have two as well." He picked up the only non-Monster card on the list and held it so Yami could see it.

Change of Heart.

Both boys remembered their duel against Bakura during the Duelist Kingdom tournament. Ryou had named Change of Heart as being his favourite card before the duel, but it had also been the card that the dark spirit had trapped Ryou's soul in, during the game. It was the card Ryou was most connected to, in the same way that Yami and Yugi were connected to the Dark Magician.

Yami considered his light's idea carefully. "It is a possibility." He looked at the next strongest card and smirked. "But I know for a fact that this card is not in Bakura and Ryou's deck."

Yugi giggled and nodded. Since Bakura and Ryou played a Fiend deck, consisting of mainly Dark Monsters, the Soul of Purity and Light card would have been very out of place. "Grandpa once told me about that card. He said it's a good card, but very difficult to use."

"Which could explain why it has never been used during an official duel. Either that, or it is in the hands of someone who does not duel in official tournaments."

"Maybe." Yugi studied the card for a moment longer before putting it down again. "Next?"

Yami frowned slightly as he looked at the remaining cards. "We hold the Dark Magician and the Dark Magician Girl cards, which leaves only two." He studied the last cards carefully, one eyebrow arching as he noted the strength of the two Monsters. "They are impressive."

Yugi nodded. "Grandpa once told me that Wingweaver is one of the strongest cards there is, in terms of combined attack and defense points. Guardian Angel Joan is only fifty points stronger in attack and weaker by four hundred in defense, but its effect means that the player using it increases their life points each time they defeat one of their opponent's Monsters."

Yami looked very thoughtful. "It is a powerful card, but it would only be effective in the hands of someone who knew how to use it."

He smiled slightly as he turned to look at his light. "At least now we know that these special cards exist and which cards they are. If we come across any of them in the future, we will not be caught unprepared."

Yugi smiled back at his darker half and nodded in agreement. "Hopefully the other cards are in good hands, so we won't have to worry about them at all."

"Yes, Yugi. Hopefully that is indeed the case." Yami stretched and sighed softly, his mind already busy with tactics and strategies to use against the cards concerned.

"Yami..." Yugi's voice was soft and hesitant, his eyes troubled as he looked at his other self. "Even though we know these special cards exist now, nothing has really changed, has it?"

"What do you mean, Yugi?" Yami frowned slightly in confusion.

The boy looked down at the cards set out on the bed. "Well... it is good that we know they exist, of course. If they're ever used against us, or in a bad way, then we'll know what's going on. But... unless that happens, do we need to worry about them?" He bit his lip and frowned slightly. "It seems to me that our knowing about them doesn't change anything at the moment. I think we should work out how to deal with each of the cards, in case we ever need to, but beyond that..."

Yami smiled and nodded. "I agree, Yugi. There is nothing more we can do. Unless the cards are used openly, we have no knowledge of where they are or who holds them. I will admit, that bothers me more than a little, however I am confident that we will be able to face whatever the future holds." He lightly rested a hand on Yugi's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "After all, there is nothing that you and I cannot do, as long as we are together."

Yugi's answering smile lit up his face and made his eyes sparkle with happiness. "I agree, Yami. If the cards are ever used against us, we'll be ready for them. Together." He looked down at the cards again. "For now though, let's put these away. We can work on strategies another time."

Yami agreed, then watched as Yugi gathered the cards and crossed the room to put them safely away in the drawer of his desk.

They had made an important discovery that day, but Yugi was right. As long as the cards remained in unknown hands, there really was no point in worrying about them. If anything happened, they would be ready and they would deal with it. Just as they dealt with every other challenge that came their way.

With that matter put aside for the time being, the dark spirit's mind began to wander onto more pleasurable activities. He looked hopefully over at the clock, then sighed softly. It looked like he was out of luck. "It seems we have spent so long looking at those cards that we will not have time to duel tonight."

Yugi tried to ignore the disappointment he could hear in his yami's voice, but his tender heart gave in. "Well... I guess one quick duel would be okay. But just one! I have school tomorrow." He eyed his darker half warily as he returned to the bed, trying his best to look stern.

Yami did his best to hide his amusement over how funny Yugi looked when he was trying to be strict. "Of course, Yugi. One game."

As Yugi smiled and sat down opposite him on the bed, preparing to play, Yami smiled serenely.

He hadn't promised the game would be a short one.

To be continued...


	16. Epilogue: The Magician's Meet

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE 1: Well here it is, the last chapter of 'The Shadow Library'. I'm sure many of you reading this will say to yourselves 'but it's not finished!' or 'what about the special cards? they haven't found them yet!'. This story was never intended to be about the special cards being found, just to let you know of their existance. Several of my stories all link together to give a more complete view of events. There will be more about the special cards and their holders in my story 'The Shadow Tournament'.

AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: Thank you to everyone who has followed this story, especially those who took the time to review and let me know what they thought of it.

**The Shadow Library  
Epilogue: The Magicians Meet**  
By Shadow's Mirror

The Spirit of the Puzzle and his light dueled happily in Yugi's room, but their peace was not shared by everyone. In the Shadow Realm, a solemn mood hung in the air over the forest clearing where two familiar figures were conversing.

For once, their voices were not raised in anger or annoyance, or filled with laughter or mischief as they teased each other. Instead, they spoke in hushed tones, standing close together as if drawing warmth from each other to guard against the odd chill in the air.

"You did not tell them everything?" The Dark Magician looked sharply at Dark Witch, who shook her head in response.

"Nay. Although I know the time will soon come when they will need to be told the full truth, I agree with you that it is as yet too dangerous for them to know all." The female Shadow Monster sighed softly. "It is most regrettable that my dear master summoned me in front of Master Yami, however."

The Dark Magician nodded. "Indeed. There is a chance he sensed the difference in your summoning. Still, it had to happen sooner or later. I am only surprised that Bakura has not sensed it yet." He shook his head and sighed heavily. "All that fuss over the special cards and he did not realise that he had two in his own deck! That boy always was rather slow at recognising things that are right in front of him."

Dark Witch smiled slightly as she lay a hand on her companion's arm. "Now now, do not be hasty to say such things. I have a feeling that he knows about me, but simply chooses not to acknowledge it."

"Why in the Shadows would he do such a thing?" The mage stared at her in shock and she grinned as if delighted that he had asked her that.

"Most likely so he can reveal his knowledge at the moment when it suits his purposes best to do so." Dark Witch smiled fondly as she thought of the white-haired yami. "You know how he is."

"Yes. I certainly do." The Dark Magician winced and rubbed his forehead, as if just thinking about Bakura and what he was like was enough to give him a headache. "He is as stubborn as a camel."

Dark Witch smiled and patted his arm. "I seem to recall another with that same trait and he ended up saving the world, and the Shadow Realm besides."

The faintest hint of colour appeared on the Dark Magician's cheeks as he looked away from her. "Yes... well... That was a long time ago and... I was not alone." He looked back at her and smiled slightly as his words caused her cheeks to colour as well.

"Neither is he." Dark Witch frowned as a bush rustled nearby. She glanced in that direction and sighed softly. "Neither are we."

The Dark Magician nodded and raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you staying?"

Dark Witch shook her head, smiling slightly. "Nay. You know perfectly well that they do not approve of me." Her eyes twinkled as her smile became a wicked smirk. "Not that I can blame them. After all, my own dear brother does not approve of some of the things I do. Even though he has been known to bend the rules himself, on occasion."

The Dark Magician chuckled softly. "The difference, my dear sister, is that I have never been caught doing it." He winked at her and smiled when she poked her tongue out at him.

"I know! It is so frustrating. I would love to see the Elders lecture you, just once." Dark Witch pouted, then sighed as the rustling came nearer. "I had best go. You will come to the castle later?"

"Aye." The Dark Magician smiled slightly at her. "Although I may be some time. There is much to discuss."

Dark Witch nodded. "I will see you then. Farewell."

"Safe flight." The Dark Magician watched as she took to the skies, her powerful wings quickly carrying her out of sight.

He closed his eyes and began to silently count. He had only reached eight when he sensed the other's presence. Opening his eyes again, he looked at the figure standing opposite him and smiled slightly. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

The other ignored the greeting and got straight down to business. "Fire Sorcerer has fallen to the fever. So it has begun once more." He frowned slightly, his dark blue eyes narrowing as he approached the Dark Magician, not stopping until he was standing opposite him. He lifted a tan hand and impatiently brushed a lock of silvery-purple hair out of his face, tucking it back beneath his maroon and gold hat.

"Indeed. However this time... it is different." The Dark Magician sighed softly and bowed his head, causing a curtain of dark purple hair to shadow his dark brown eyes. "At least, I hope it is."

"You believe this time to be the one you have been waiting for?" The voice was deeper than the Dark Magician's, with a note of weariness to it. The two in the clearing turned to look in the voice's direction, clearly not at all startled by it.

"It is possible. Everyone is in the same city and all of the Items are present and accounted for. Also, lately..." The Dark Magician hesitated before continuing, his voice soft. "Lately, I have been seeing... him... in my dreams. I can feel him sometimes, too. He is close." The mage raised an eyebrow. "Are you coming out?" His voice revealed his amusement.

A heavy sigh came from somewhere in the bushes. "You know I dislike us three meeting in this way. If we were seen..."

The two in the clearing both sighed as well but it was the one in the maroon and gold robes who spoke, his youthful voice sharp with irritation. "Who is going to see us and what would it matter if anyone did? Everyone here already knows about us! It is only the humans who do not." He crossed his arms and glared at the unseen figure. "Come out or go away, it matters not to me, but stop wasting my time with your paranoia!"

A rustle of leaves was the only warning before a figure emerged into the clearing. He strode over to the other two, his purple robes fluttering around his ankles. When he reached them, he scowled at the one who had spoken so testily, his light blue eyes piercing and cold. "You may call me paranoid, but at least I do not go around insulting everyone!"

The other scowled and started to speak, then spluttered as a hand was firmly clamped over his mouth. "Now, now, Magus. He has a point. You did insult him." The Dark Magician leaned over the other's shoulder and smiled at the newcomer. "Come now. We are all friends here and we should not quarrel. We have plans to make." He turned his smile onto the glowering male whose mouth he had covered. "After all, if we three cannot trust each other, who can we trust?"

The other nodded, then relaxed as his mouth was uncovered again. "Fine. Then let us do so quickly. The sooner this is over with, the sooner we shall all be free." He scowled as the Dark Magician moved to stand beside him.

"Indeed." The newcomer nodded. "The Shadow Magic grows wilder by the day. Soon, very soon, we shall need all the strength we can gather." He moved closer until the three of them were standing in a circle.

To anyone watching, it would have been an impressive, and most unusual, sight. For these were not merely three random Shadow Monsters.

Each of them was a Dark Magician.

They were identical except for their colouring. The first, the one who had called Dark Witch 'sister', had pale skin, dark purple hair, brown eyes and purple robes. The second, the insulting one, was tanned with silvery-purple hair, dark blue eyes and maroon robes trimmed with gold. The third, the newcomer, was identical to the first, except for his eyes. They were ice blue, instead of deep brown.

The third mage looked at the other two. "Darak, Magus, let us hope that our secrecy over our existence, and that of our apprentices, provides us with the edge we need to win the battle that lies before us." Mahaado smiled slightly as the other two mages nodded in agreement.

Putting their heads close together, the three Dark Magicians began to discuss the plans for the battle that would soon take place in the mortal world.

Whether the mortals there were ready for it or not.

The End


End file.
